Love in the Tennis Court
by yuunon hitei
Summary: The seigaku boys teams up with their rival schools to make a music video. Choutaro falls inlove with a pop star and Fuji turns Tezuka's little sister into his girlfriend and a new rival for Echizen.
1. Prologue

_Title: Love in the Tennis court_

_Summary: A music video production that brought laughter and romance to the schools who participated. Well Maybe a little disaster here and there, but boys will be boys right? _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis! But as a Mangaka, I do want to own it and be famous for it hahaha! But since I have all the time to be bored with the world, I'll write this._

_Credits: Thank you very much for the Lyrics!!! Okay, the lyrics found in this fic is found in various shows here and there but most of them came from Tenimyu and the image songs of the characters as well as the songs in the anime._

_And to my beta-reader Amethystgarnet! Wahoo! Love ya!_

_Warning!: Mary-suish OCs and some of the things that the characters would be doing here are truly impossible in both the real world and in the anime. I think they call it OOC-ness here or something…_

**Epilogue:**

Seishun gakuen 10 a.m.

"Sumire Ryuzaki! I have a letter for Sumire Ryuzaki!" the mailman called out as he entered the teacher's lounge.

"That would be me" Coach Ryuzaki called the mailman's attention.

The mailman rushed over her desk and let her sign the receive slip. It was an urgent letter from the PTA.. She read the letter and smiled.

"Something new eh?"

Seigaku tennis Court, Afternoon practice...

"That's all for today! Dismiss!". Afternoon practice just finished & Tezuka-Buchou just dismissed the Regulars of Seigaku Boys tennis club. Sakuno arrived in the courts & looked at Tezuka.

"What is it Ryuzaki?" the captain asked nicely.

Still trying to catch her breathe, Sakuno answered

"Ryuzaki-sensei wants to see you immediately in her office"

So Tezuka and Oishi headed for the teachers lounge.

"Ryuzaki-sensei, what is the urgent news?" Tezuka asked as he entered the room

"Did something bad happen?" Oishi added

"Nothing really. Actually, early this morning , a letter arrived from the PTA scouts. They have noticed how well you played during the Kanto tournament. So they are now asking, I have thought long and hard considering this matter. The Decision is all yours Tezuka"

"Yes Ma'am" Tezuka replied firmly.

"Would you like your team to attend a special one month training program of the PTA?" the coach asked.

Even before Tezuka could answer, the doors burst open and ...

"Yes we do!!". All the members apparently were listening to the conversation.

"Well then if you want to, you should start behaving properly from now on!" Coach Ryuzaki ordered.

"Looks like we will get into another adventure ne Tezuka?" Oishi turned to his best friend. Tezuka just sighed and turned.

"Okei, since you are all here.. The letter said that it was only available for the regular members and a month long set of clothes"

"WHAT! For regulars only?" the non-regulars reacted.

"So you won't be coming, ne, Arai? Sorry!" Momoshiro said

"AHH! It's always Echizen!" The ichinen trio said

"Mada mada dane" Ryoma quoted.

"I will prepare a letter for your parents to sign so they will know alright? You may all go" the coach dismissed them.

While walking home...

"Yay! At last! Playing against PRO tennis players! WAHOO!" Eiji exclaimed

"You're so excited ne Eiji" Oishi said.

" Ne Oishi, Do you think they noticed us because we played a good doubles game during the Kanto tournament?" Eiji asked.

"Maybe so" Oishi said encouragingly.

"Maybe it was because of Fuji sempai's amazing counters, Inui Sempai's incredible data analysis, Capt. Tezuka's amazing powers, Taka-sempai's burning power, Echizen's small but terrible moves and my powerful smash" Momo boasted.

"Oh! Did I forget someone?"

"Fssssss!"

"Oh yeah! I haven't noticed viper kid!" Momo grins as he turns to Kaidoh with teasing eyes.

Kaidoh was about to pounce and choke Momo but ...

"Momoshiro! Kaidoh!", Momo and Kaidoh stopped abruptly and turned to their captain.

"Teamwork!" Tezuka shouted

"Teamwork?" they all asked together.

"Yes, teamwork. Got a problem with that?" Tezuka was all staring at them with eyes so threatingly

"No captain of course not.." they all answered together.

"What do you think Echizen?" Tezuka asked

"Who..me?" Echizen looked around.

"Yes you"

"Uhm... I'm just anxious to play against some PRO players"

"I see"

"Really..That's the way how Tezuka hides his excitement" Fuji quoted.

The Day of the start of the training...

"So is everyone here?" coach Ryuzaki asked.

"Echizen is late again!" Momo shouted

Everyone in Seigaku was gathered and Tezuka was with his little sister, Tezuka Tamaki. Tamaki had long brown hair, blue eyes and is wearing a blue shirt and denim pants.

"Tezuka, why did you bring your little sister?" Oishi asked

"I need to look after her or else I can't come today"

Fuji leaned towards her and smiled

"How cute! How old are you Tamaki?" Fuji asked

"13 and I'm not a kid."

Then Echizen arrived with his cousin Nanako

"Hws!" he greeted them quite sleepily

"I am very sorry coach Ryuzaki! It was all my fault Ryoma was late this morning.."

Nanako was apologizing to coach Ryuzaki. Momo went beside Echizen and whispered to his ear.

"Pst! Echizen! Were you helping the pregnant Santa Clause give birth again?"

"No! She broke my racket this morning" Ryoma was referring to his cousin.

"Ah I see.." Momo tried stopping his laugh.

The shuttle bus for Seigaku arrived so they all don't know their exact destination. Not long after, they stopped in front of the Madison Grand Hotel - the most luxurious hotel in Tokyo.

"Uhhmm.. Coach, why are we stopping here?" Oishi asked

"This is the place" the driver said

"A HOTEL????" Eiji exclaimed

" AH! FUDOMINE IS HERE TOO!" Momo shouted pointing outside the window of the shuttle. Guys wearing their black jersey were coming out from the bus.

"OY! Momo-sempai, Yamabuki just arrived", Echizen pointed at another incoming bus. The rest of the team looked at the bus..

"HYOTEI TOO!" Oishi was pointing at another bus where Hyotei was coming out.

Seigaku was acting like they have seen an exhibit of wild animals while in the bus because a lot of schools had arrived to participate in the program.

Coach Ryuzaki cut their little "program watching" because they need to get into the hotel.

Rikkaidai Fuzoku, St. Rudolph, Yamabuki and Rokaku were already waiting inside the hotel lounge.

"What! We're not the only ones?!" Eiji reacted

"This sucks!" Momo exclaimed.

"How many more schools are participating?" Tezuka asked his teacher.

"I heard there are 8 teams all in all"

Everyone's eyes were now focused on Seigaku who just entered the Hotel

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Editorial ekek: _I am writing about Yamabuki and yet I know nothing about these guys… the only one famous in their group is Sengoku so there are more Sengoku scenes. And since Everybody loves Rikkai, I will be inserting a few of their mischievous misadventures until their grand music video._

_The Madison Hotel completely belongs to my brain 'kay? The Madison grand hotel does not exist in Japan. Furthermore, I am only basing some of the spots here on my encyclopedia so please…_


	2. Track 1: Wonderful Days

_Title: Love in the Tennis court_

_Summary: A music video production that brought laughter and romance to the schools who participated. Well Maybe a little disaster here and there, but boys will be boys right? _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis! _

_Credits: Thank you very much for the Lyrics!!! Okay, the lyrics found in this fic is found in various shows here and there but most of them came from Tenimyu and the image songs of the characters as well as the songs in the anime._

_And to my beta-reader Amethystgarnet! I still love ya lots!!!_

_Warning!: Mary-suish OCs and some of the things that the characters would be doing here are truly impossible in both the real world and in the anime. I think they call it OOC-ness here or something…_

_Can someone out there teach me how to deal with these things? With the terms and everything? Is there even a manual for fic writers?_

**Track 1: Wonderful days**

Everyone was there waiting in the lobby with their coaches. They were all chatting, annoying, and even killing each other…strangling as well. After a few more minutes of unreasonable fighting and quarreling, the coaches assembled their teams. Several men dressed in black suits who are escorting 2 teenagers- a boy and a girl. The girl has long, sleek black hair and was slightly shorter than her boy escort. The boy was a tall one and has shoulder length gray hair. With his brown eyes, he looked very handsome. When they came out from the shadows of the big, hunky, scary looking body guards, everyone recognized them. These two are currently the countries famous teen idols- Yukino Sugimoto and Yuki Yukishiro. Some of the boys were already shouting "Cute!" The girls were also shouting madly when they saw Yuki.

"Is this a concert?" Echizen was asking quite annoyed because of the entire ruckus and then he also saw Momo and Kikumaru shouting with the others.

"Mada mada Dane" then he turned back to the 2 pop stars. He thought that he saw Yuki glancing over his way. But he ignored it.

"Everyone settle down please" Yukino used the mic already just to be heard over the noise.

Everyone went quiet.

"Good! So everyone, please welcome to the Madison Grand Hotel. We are all gathered here to participate in the PTA special training for one month. So all of you know us already right?" Yukino asked.

"Sure they already know you" Yuki reacted. "If they didn't, then they shouldn't have reacted earlier".

Yukino just gave him an evil stare. She ignored him and turned back to the teams.

"You can all sit on the floor for a while if you want to; this might be a long orientation, well just a little."

Some of them followed and the others just leaned on the wall or sat on the available sofa.

"Okay…You guys must be wondering, 'What is a pop star doing in a tennis training camp?'. And why is it in a hotel? Don't tell me you didn't think about it"

Almost everyone nodded.

"Oh well... The thing is the chief director of the PTA asked me to handle this training program so... This is the recreational area of the hotel. There are a lot of rooms and facilities that you can use for free. Any more questions regarding the training?"

Echizen raised his hands

"Where are the Pro players were gonna play against?"

"We are the Junior pro players", Yuki replied with a model like smile and the girls went "Kyaa!"

"Other Questions?" Yukino asked.

Inui raised his hands.

"Precisely what kind of training is this?"

"A Music Video training" Yukino replied with a voice quite excited.

"WHHAAAATTTTT?!" Everyone reacted. Well except fro the coaches.

They were all chatting and arguing so the creepy guys made them keep quiet.

"The PTA board members..." Yukino started to explain "...thought that since it is almost Christmas, has designed a program for the less fortunate on the other side of the globe. They wanted teens our age to get involved so they are going to make a music video DVD of teen tennis players"

"So first up in the project…!" Everyone listened closely as Yukino started to read the message on the folder she was carrying. "Keigo Atobe and Oshitari Yuushi of Hyotei Gakuen, Kiyosumi Sengoku of Yamabuki, Akaya Kirihara and Sanada Genichiro of Rikkaidai and Shinji Ibu and Kamio Akira of Fudomine. The following names that were called can meet me in the café after unpacking. This whole building is for all of you to share so you can have whichever suite you want.. Well except the top floor..it's already occupied. That's all"

And Yuki and Yukino went away.

After the 2 popstars have left, almost all the girls were gossiping and giggling about Yuki while the guys talked about Yukino and the rest of the people who doesn't care were talking about how pointless and crazy the training is.

Kikumaru and Oishi took the liberty of strolling around the hotel after getting a suite. They noticed that the whole hotel really was loaded. There are about 24 tennis courts, 2 Olympic size swimming pools, 4 volleyball courts, 2 basketball courts, etc.

Kikumaru enjoyed the acrobatic gym and started playing on the trampoline as soon as he laid eyes on it. It took Oishi several minutes to convince Kikumaru to leave just because he said there was a giant Jacuzzi that he saw earlier.

And indeed there was also a giant Jacuzzi. They were about to try it out when they heard the voices of Yukino, and surprisingly Tamaki, talking to each other.

"It has been quite sometime now since you last played tennis" Tamaki told Yukino in a very friendly way.

"Yeah and I'm playing again for a whole month! I wish I need not to" Yukino answered with a tone of disbelief.

"That can also mean a short break for your acting career, isn't it?"

"Nah! They'll still find ways"

And the girls laughed together.

Oishi and Kikumaru didn't notice that Yuki already saw them hiding and he was looking at them suspiciously,

"What are you doing here?" Yuki asked them.

Thankfully Tamaki saw them.

"Ah! Kikumaru-nii-chan, Oishi-nii-chan"

"You know them?" Yukino asked her friend.

"Yeah! They're regulars in my brother's team" Tamaki told them while he went beside Oishi and Kikumaru.

"Ah!" Yukino reacted like she recognizes them now. "Seigaku's Golden pair Oishi Syoichiro and Kikumaru Eiji right?"

"You got it!" Eiji answered enthusiastically.

"I am very much looking forward for our project together" she smiled at them.

Yukino has somehow gotten Fuji's habit of smiling all the time. But it was quite irresistible to see her smile leave because of her flawless cherubic face. She was like a stuffed animal that once you see in a store, you'll first have second thoughts before leaving without buying it. She was that cute.

Inside the Doujin café of the hotel, the singers for the first track has decided to gather.

"Finally, ore-sama no bigi ni yoina" Atobe was boasting in the group.

Shinji was about to talk when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder.

"Shinji-kun, Hello" Yukino said while she placed her finger on Shinji's cheeks.

"WAAH! Ibu is close with Yukino" the group reacted except for Atobe and Shinji.

"I owe him my knowledge about tennis" Yukino was now stretching Shinji's cheeks.

"Yukino, we need to get to the shooting" Yuki, who was standing behind Yukino, reminded her while looking at his watch.

"Oh Yeah! I need to give you guys the lyrics".

She gave them each an envelope with the lyrics and a tape of the song to them.

"Practice it until tomorrow and maybe we can start recording. See ya!" and she ran off again.

They all opened their package and read the title of the song.

Title: Wonderful days

Composed by: Yukino Sugimoto

Song by: Atobe Keigo, Oshitari Yuushi, Kiyosumi Sengoku, Akaya Kirihara, Sanada Genichiro, Shinji Ibu and Kamio Akira

Atobe Mabushii gogo Mado wo akeru

Wake mo naku kakeru hikage no komichi

Kirihara Kata de iki wo suikonde me wo toji

Omoiegaita ashita kara no STAGE

Sanada IMAGE shiteru atarashii PAGE

Masshiroi CAMPUS ni egaku

Sengoku Mukaikaze mo okamainashi de kirihiraku

Kono hatenaku tsuzuku Brand new story

Round song lead by Oshitari Ah, wonderful days

Shinji-kun ZEBRA-moyou no kousaten

Ao ni kawaru to hashiridasu

Kamio Shiroi LINE dake wo funde watarikiru

All Kodomo no you ni

Itsumo konna fuu ni kaze ni fukare

Ari no mama no jibun de iru koto ga moshi mo dekiteita nara

Tooi sora ni mukete ryoute nobashi kono omoi todoku you ni to

Tokihanatteku

Atobe PEDAL wo fumu ashi wo hayame

Ikki ni sakamichi Kakeagaru

Kirihara Ima tobitatsu mae no nagai josou

Takamaru kodou Kanji nagara

Sanada Kono saka wo noborikitte

Teppen ga mietekita koro ni

Sengoku Minamikaze ga senaka wo oikoshiteyuku

Hajimari no aizu wo shiraseru you ni

Round song lead by Oshitari Ah, wonderful days

Shinji-kun Ato sukoshi dake wo kurikaeshi

Itsu no ma ni ka koko made kiteta

Kamio Mou shikai no oku ni kagayaku hikari sae

All Reach for the sky

Donna toki mo mune ni shimaikonda mama no

Omoi wasurenaide zutto atatame-tsuzuketa nara

Kitto itsuka na mo nai tori no you ni omou mama

Kono oozora wo tsukisusundeku

Tesaguri de sagasu mirai wa itsudemo kagi no nai tobira

Me no mae ni aru hikari mo mitsukerarezu sagashi-tsuzuketa

Tsukue ni aru rakugaki wa

Itsuka omoiegaita chizu

Dare mo aruita koto mo nai

Taiyou sae shiranai basho

Mezashite

Itsumo konna fuu ni kaze ni fukare

Ari no mama no jibun de iru koto ga moshi mo dekiteita nara

Tooi sora ni mukete ryoute nobashi kono omoi todoku you ni to

Tokihanatteku

Tokihanatteku...

Round song lead by Oshitari with a long end by Kirihara Ah, wonderful days...

"Let's just try it. The lyrics are good" Sengoku said.

So they all went up to their suites and practiced.

The next day…

"Are you ready?" Yukino was acting like a child who was going to the amusement park because of excitement.

"Strangely I got attracted to the song" Kamio said.

"Really? I was quite worried you wouldn't like it at all"

"The song is absolutely about ore-sama" Atobe said proudly.

Echizen was passing by so he asked Yukino what they were going to do while the rest are recording.

"Don't worry, all the coaches were informed on what to do with the rest of you, come along now" Coach Ryuzaki dragged Echizen away from them.

"What are we gonna do coach?" Echizen asked

"Play tennis of course! Now you can compete with all the people that you want for today and the top 28 who gets the most points by the end of the day proceeds to the finals"

"What's up for grabs?" Echizen sounded a little interested.

"It would be a year long unlimited access to this hotel for the team of the winner and an all expense paid trip to watch the International tennis competition next year."

Coach Ryuzaki thought that she heard Echizen mumble the words 'I'll win'. So while the rest were competing, the others who were recording got to catch up in the afternoon games. The ranking of the top 28 were posted in the announcement board in the Lobby.

1 Kunimitsu Tezuka 28

2 Fuji Syusuke 25

3 Keigo Atobe 23

4 Sadaharu Inui 23

5 Echizen Ryoma 22

6 Seiichi Yukimura 21

7 Eiji Kikumaru 20

8 Tachibana Kippei 19

9 Akaya Kirihara 18

10 Munehiro Kabaji 18

11 Sengoku Kiyosumi 18

12 Oshitari Yuushi 17

13 Hajime Mizuki 17

14 Aoi Kentaro 17

15 Ootori Choutaro 17

16 Mukahi Gakuto 17

17 Sanada Genichiro 16

18 Oshi Syoichiro 16

19 Akutagawa Jirou 16

20 Shishido Ryo 16

21 Marui Bunta 16

22 Saeki Kojiro 15

23 Renji Yanagi 15

24 Fuji Yuuta 15

25 Kaidoh Kaoru 15

26 Momoshiro Takeshi 15

27 Kisarazu Ryo 15

28 Kawamura Takashi 15

The shooting was also continued during the evening in the Doujin café and at the hotel rooftop. The video was somewhat like the season of fireworks by F4 with all the fireworks.

-------------------

Ranking explanation:

The ranking goes like this; the one with the highest rank was the person who has won many games, in this case Tezuka. This is a free game; or whatever you call it. You decide who your opponent is. Tezuka got the most challenge followed by Fuji. So, why did Atobe catch up so fast when he was in recording during the morning? Ore-sama was so famous all his opponents came to him instead. The others had a few challenges that is why their scores ended up that way or; they were just sleeping or; were busy watching other games they forgot about theirs.


	3. Track 2: Good Combination

Track 2: Good Combination

Preditorial ekek: The next chapter is too long but I'm trying my very best to fix all of this. For those who have read the previous chapter. In the list of the top 28, the number below is the number of matches they have won.

I didn't know that it would turn out that way so I am very sorry.

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There was a letter posted in front of the café and in the tennis court entrances.

_2__nd__ MTV PROJECT: Good Combination_

_Ootori Choutaro - Hyotei_

_Shishido Ryou - Hyotei_

_Eiji Kikumaru - Seigaku_

_Oishi Syuichiroh - Seigaku_

_**Please proceed to the café **_

When the Seigaku boys saw the sign…they were cheering Kikumaru and Oishi on. There was another paper below. The match up for the Tennis tournament:

_Court A: _

_Doubles 2: OtoriShishido Pair v.s. FujiKawamura pair_

_Doubles 1: InuiKaidoh pair v.s. Mizuki Yuuta pair_

_Singles 3: Bunta M. v.s. Kirihara A._

_Singles 2: Sanada G. v.s. Kisarazu R._

_Singles 1: Kunimitsu T. v.s. Yanagi R._

_Court B:_

_Doubles 2: OishiKikumaru pair v.s. MukahiOshitari pair_

_Doubles 1: KojiroAoi pair v.s. EchizenMomo pair_

_Singles 1: Kabaji M. v.s. Yukimura S._

_Singles 2: Sengoku K. v.s. Akutagawa J. _

_Singles 3: Atobe K. v.s. Tachibana K._

**Pls. proceed to your assigned courts by 10:00 A.M.**

**People included in the MTV, your matches are rescheduled in the afternoon.**

While the others had their matches, the 4 players were patiently waiting in the café for Yukino. But 15 minutes of silence between the 4 people have already passed and there still wasn't a sign of Yukino. Tamaki arrived instead.

"So sorry guys" Tamaki apologized. "Yuki and Yukino have their shooting today"

"Tamaki-chan, what is your relation with Yukino-chan?"

"Huh? Nii-chan didn't tell you?"

"Who is her brother?" Shishido asked Choutaro but the 2nd year merely shrugged.

"This is Tezuka's little sister" Oishi introduced Tamaki as if she was her own.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu ? …has a sister?" . Shishido was acting all shocked and confused.

"Why are you guys so awed with my brother?"

"He is considered as one of the best players in Tokyo" Choutaro told her.

"That wimp? I've beaten him a long time ago". She was fanning her hands on her face meaning she didn't even sweat beating him.

"C'mon! Let's go! We still need to practice". Tamaki dragged them all the way to the top floor.

"Mo chotto matte!" Shishido argued in the elevator. "How are we going to practice without Yukino?"

"Oh don't worry. I have it all covered". They entered the only suite located on the top floor. Beyond its gigantic oak doors was a suite that's incomparable to others. It was beyond words of both beauty and luxury.

In the far end of the large guest room was a large black piano. Tamaki sat on the piano chair.

"Okay. You guys just stand and let's start with some vocal exercises" Tamaki instructed them.

The others looked at each other blankly. To them the words vocal exercises don't mean a thing.

"We'll just follow the tunes Tamaki is going to play", Oishi explained it to them.

"Oishi, you know how to sing?" Shishido asked him.

"Just a little"

The truth is, Oishi only knew about this was because Tamaki makes Tezuka do it all the time whenever Tezuka loses against her sister in tennis, on purpose. She makes her brother sing all the piano pieces Tamaki brought home from music class. And whenever Tamaki loses, he makes Tamaki do his Geography homework.

Tamaki also giggled. It seems that she was reminiscing the same memory Oishi was.

After stopping herself from giggling further, Tamaki played an octave for the boys to vocalize on. Since Tamaki saw that they were already fine, they tried singing the song.

(All) _GOOD COMBINATION  
Yappa GOOD na RELATIONSHIP daze_  
(Shishido) _Omae to iru to fukanouna koto nado nani mo nai youna ki ga suru _  
(Choutaro) _Yuuki mo doryoku mo konjou mo ishiki shinai de mi ni matoeru _  
(Both) _Hazukashii kedo aratamete iu ze   
Arigatou omae to wa GOOD COMBINATION  
HIGH TOUCH_

(Both) _GOOD COMBINATION   
Yappa GOOD na RELATIONSHIP daze _  
(Oishi) _Futari de ireba kakoku na joukyou mo nan'aku norikoerareru sa_  
(Eiji) _Egao mo namida mo iradachi mo kimi ni yudanete heijyoushin_  
(All) _Terekusai kedo chanto kiite kure   
Arigatou omae to wa GOOD COMBINATION  
HIGH TOUCH _

Eiji was having trouble singing his part and Shishido also had some parts a little off tune.

"Waah! I can't take it anymore!" Eiji was going crazy on singing his part over and over again.

"Hi Tamaki!" Yukino and Yuki has now entered the room

"Hi Yuu!"

"The Famous popstar has now arrived, at last" Shishido said.

"Shishido-san, gomen very much" Yukino was apologizing to the fullest. "My manager kidnapped me so I had no choice". Though Shishido never dared ask how she knew who he was, he was sure that he heard a tone of bitterness in her voice; though Yukino had always worn a warm smile on her face.

On the other side of the room, Oishi noticed that Yuki was trying to start a conversation with Tamaki but Tamaki had started blushing again. Tamaki stood up and …

"Excuse me guys but I'm going to be late for my appointment". Tamaki hurriedly left the room.

Since the day she met Yukino, Tamaki had always liked Yuki; since the two had never left each other's side. Yukino knew about how her best friend had taken a liking to her body guard but Yukino never told her that she knows about it already. Even Tezuka has never learned about this very secret.

"So, where did you guys left off?" Yukino asked them.

"Eiji was just having a hard time with his part" Oishi oriented her.

"Oishi!" Eiji was blushing with humiliation.

"Let's try to fix it then"

"But I'm tired of singing!" Eiji was throwing a childish tantrum.

"Eiji, stop it its embarrassing" Oishi was scolding his doubles partner.

"That's alright. You know what? I sometimes throw some tantrums during my recordings" Yukino told this to Eiji in a-matter-of- factly tune.

"Really?" Eiji asked her quite surprised.

"Yup! But this video is due in a month so we really need to practice okay?" Yukino was talking to Eiji like she was lecturing a little kid.

She sat on the piano and played the slow accompaniment of the song.

"_GOOD COMBINATION Yappa GOOD na RELATIONSHIP daze_" the boys sang together.

"Now sing it quite slowly Shishido-san" Yukino told him

"_Omae to iru to fukanouna koto nado nani mo nai youna ki ga suru_" Shishido got the tune at last.

"_Yuuki mo doryoku mo konjou mo ishiki shinai de mi ni matoeru_" Choutaro sang so handsomely. Nobody knew he could do that, not even himself.

Then when they got to Eiji's part, it was still like before. Eiji was going a note higher than it was required. Then he stopped.

"Waah! It's happening again" Eiji shouted.

Yukino just smiled at him like the whole situation was normal and is easy to solve.

"OY Yukino!" Yuki called her. "I'm going downstairs okay?" Yuki told her in a lazy tune.

"Sure, see ya!" and with that Yuki left the room.

"Don't mind him. He's always dark and mysterious in the eyes of other people; for short weird!"

The guys fell on the floor because of how corny Yukino's joke sounded.

"Gentlemen, you can now sit down" Yukino told them. And so the 4 boys sat on the sofa. Was practice already over? "Kikumaru-san, please get a separate chair"

Eiji followed obediently though he didn't know what was happening. He sat on the chair across Yukino.

"Now please sit upright, chin-up and place your hands on your lap". The 3 boys on the sofa watched closely. Eiji followed as instructed.

"Now close your eyes and listen to the tune". Yukino played the whole piece. "Take a deep breath while maintaining that position and just relax. I'll give you a cue to enter".

She played on and nodded to Kikumaru.

"_Egao mo namida mo iradachi mo kimi ni yudanete heijyoushin". _Miraculously Eiji was singing finely.

"I can sing it!". Eiji was jumping in the room with joy. He can sing it Yahoo!

"After lunch we can proceed to recording okay?" Yukino told them. "Let's go down together for lunch?"

Choutaro was very quiet, smiling from time to time as they went down.

"What's the matter Choutaro?" Shishido asked his kohai quite worried "You seem quiet"

"It's nothing sempai. Just thinking"

Actually, Choutaro was thinking about their work. Hyotei is being friends with their rival school Seigaku. Oishi and Kikumaru were easy to get along with and they never seemed to mind that they were in opposing sides. Because he was quite preoccupied with thinking, Choutaro didn't notice that they have already arrived in the dinner hall.

"Ah, Coach Ryuzaki" Oishi and Kikumaru greeted her.

"Sugimoto-san, the others are requesting if you could sing for them on stage" Ryuzaki asked the popstar.

"Sure, maybe after I finished a small lunch though I'm really hungry" Yukino told her and the 5 of them separated seats. Choutaro saw Yukino sit alone on a table at the far end corner of the room looking over a pile of folders. Shishido looked at the same way Choutaro was looking.

"Wooh! Looking at Yukino, eh?" Shishido was teasing his favorite kohai. "A superstar and a tennis player...hmm?"

"It's not like that sempai" Choutaro answered quite embarrassed.

"C'mon Atobe and the others are waiting." They headed for the Hyotei table and sat with the others. But Choutaro never took off his eyes on Yukino. He thought that he only saw her eat a sandwich before she went onstage. The others were cheering loudly as Yukino took her place in the center stage.

"Everyone eating good food?" Yukino asked the crowd.

"Yeah!" the boys answered. And Yuki went onstage as well. The girls were screaming too.

"Okay now let's start the singing" Yuki told them and he asked the pianist to play the song. Choutaro listened closely as the two sang a duet onstage.

(Yuki) It's hard to believe  
That I couldn't see  
You were always there beside me  
(Yukino) Thought I was alone  
With no one to hold  
(Both) But you were always there beside me  
This feeling's like no other  
I want you to know  
(Both) I've never had someone that knows me like you do  
The way you do  
I've never had someone as good for me as you  
No one like you  
So lonely before I finally found  
What I've been looking for

(Yukino) ooh..ooh…ooooo…

And the pianist ended the song. The crowd went wild with how romantic the two were acting onstage.

Choutaro turned back to his food. No. It is impossible. You are a tennis player. She is a popstar. There is no way the two of you could ever be and besides she has a very handsome partner that all the girls go gaga over. So you might as well give up your little infatuation Choutaro, he told himself.

After desert –Yorkshire pudding ("All for Ore-sama". Atobe took all the pudding in the table, except Jirou's but he voluntarily gave his.), Oishi ran into Tamaki at the Lobby.

"Hello Oishi-nii" Tamaki greeted him.

"Hi Tamaki. I just noticed this earlier" Oishi smiled at her.

"What?" Tamaki asked quite curious with her tone.

"You like Yuki Yukishiro don't you?" Tamaki immediately silenced Oishi and dragged him in the elevator. When the elevator closed…

"How did you know?" Tamaki asked in a business type of way.

"I knew it!" It was just Oishi's hunch but he got it. "And besides it was a little obvious"

"It was? I'm so doomed!" She lay dead on the elevator floor. Tamaki always does this whenever she wants other people's sympathy. "Don't ever tell this to anyone promise? Especially Yukino and Onii-chan" She told Oishi in a very serious tone that will make you swear that you will really keep that as a promise (She has also inherited the same talent as her brother).

"Don't worry I will"

The recording that afternoon went well in the DX studio. Shishido and Choutaro's voice were like those of T.M. Revolution when recorded. After the recording, the four boys decided to get something to drink in the vending machine.

"Wow!" Kikumaru stretched out. "It feels like I am a superstar now, with all the recording and tomorrow the shooting. I wish the Chocolates can hear me sing one day".

"And he was the one throwing a tantrum earlier" Shishido reacted.

"At least we finished already nee, sempai?" Choutaro said "We can go on with our games at last.

"Cho-"

"-co-"

"-lates"

Shishido and Kikumaru were acting like dorks when they saw the chocolates sitting with Yukino by the vending machines. It was like their souls have already left their bodies when they saw them without warning. That's why their partners needed to drag them to the seats.

"Ah! Kikumaru-san!" the girls greeted the Kikumaru.

"You remember me?" Kikumaru was pointing at himself

"How did they meet someone like you?" Shishido was staring at Kikumaru evilly.

"I won the contest last week so…nye he" Kikumaru stuck out his tongue trying to make Shishido envious. And it did work because you can almost see veins sticking out from Shishido's forehead, even though he's wearing a cap.

The Chocolates intervened with Shishido and Kikumaru's eye contact fight.

"Yukino, are they the ones taking part in your project?"

Yukino nodded, "Since you already know Kikumaru-san. I'll introduce you to the others. This is Oishi-san…"

"We've met him before too ne, girls?" the girl with pink hair looked at the other girls.

"Yup and his other friends as well"

"What are their names?...Fuji-san…"

"Takashi-san, Inui-san, …" They were thinking

"Echizen-san and Momo-san!"

"WHAT?! You've met the whole Seigaku team?!" Shishido was so shocked he stood up and slammed his hand on the coffee table.

Shishido sat down and fell silent. Kikumaru and Oishi were laughing and the girls giggled along with them. Choutaro was the only one in a thinking pose (cross-legged with hands on his chin…so handsome…)

Then he asked Yukino, "What do you mean by 'your project'?"

They all looked at Choutaro

"Actually the project that you are now doing is all Yukino-chan's idea", one of the Chocolates said. "Yukino loves to take part in charity events all year around"

"It seems that she never gets tired of it and never runs out of money for it" the Chocolates giggled

"You and Yuki are in this together right?"

"They always are" one of the members said.

"They make such a good couple don't you think?" the Chocolated turned to the 4 boys for an answer.

"I don't see nor imagine him as my boyfriend or even close to it" Yukino said with dignity. "He will, just and always will be, my best friend".

"Ahh, but you make such a good combination" the one with the pink hair said.

"That's because we were also rivals during Kindergarten" Yukino told them in a tone of a-matter-of-factly.

Then they heard a cool woman's voice paging the Chocolates to the recording room on the 3rd floor.

The girls stood up and they bid the boys and Yukino good-bye.

The Chocolates member with the mickey-hairstyle leaned to Choutaro. Choutaro who was staring blankly in space noticed the leaning girl and almost fell off his seat.

"What's your name?" She asked in a babyish voice.

"Ch..Choutaro…Ootori" She stood up properly and smiled at him.

"Your cute I like you" she smiled again and left.

Shishido stared from where the girl stood, jaw dropped. He looked at Choutaro.

"Are you flirting with the Chocolates?"

Shishido lost all patience. The whole Seigaku team, "commoners", had already met his favorite TV idols in person, and he was completely ignored when he gets to meet them in person and his most trusted friend is flirting with one of member of Chocolates.

Choutaro also sensed the anger coming from his sempai but he didn't dare touch him to calm him down for he has never felt his sempai get this angry before.

"SQUIRRTT!" Yukino was holding a water gun and sprayed some water on Shishido's face.

"What was that for?!" Shishido wiped off the water from his face and turned all his anger to the smiling Yukino.

"Calm down Shishido-san. If you want I'll set you up on a date with the Chocolates Next week" Yukino suggested.

"Really? You can do that?" Eiji asked her.

"Of course. Am I or am I not the most renowned teen popstar in all of Japan" She tossed her long black hair at the back. Creepily, Yukino's action reminded Shishido of someone he disliked a lot for no reason at all. He was just so vain, it seems to him that Yukino also had some similarities to him but he disregarded this thought because she was a polite smiling face. She could never be as evil and vain as '_that_' guy. And besides he wouldn't allow him to get near _his_ Choutaro.

"Where did you go?" Yuki was in the lobby. He lectured Yukino for arriving late in the afternoon and not telling him where she went.

"Pahleese Yuki I was out at work. Haven't you read my planner?" Arisa answered him casually.

"Okay fine but next time, tell me. Okay?" he was talking to her like it was the end of the world if anything bad happens to her.

"I know you're my personal body guard but quit acting like your head is on the smasher if I get a tiny bruise" Yuki no was patting Yuki's shoulder to comfort him or maybe annoy him a little too. Then she turned to the 4 neglected boys behind her.

"Play against us in Tennis, will you?"

Finally they'll get to see the two pop stars play some tennis.

After a few minutes they all met up in the lobby properly dressed. Eiji and Kikumaru is in their Seigaku Jersey, and Choutaro and Shishido in their Hyotei jersey. Yukino and Yuki were wearing a black collared white shirt with a yonex label on it. They both tied their long hair in a ponytail. While they passed by, some of the people have mistaken Yukino as a new kid because she was wearing shorts instead of the customary skirt for girls. And her hair was somewhat similar to Shishido's former hairstyle.

When they arrived in the courts, the temperature of the sun was almost cool but the matches were all so heated.

"Wow! I'm so busy thinking about the video's I forgot all about the games!" Yukino was acting all excited

Then they came across Echizen walking with Tezuka.

"Hello Kunimitsu-kun" Yukino greeted him.

"Ah Tezuka" Oishi greeted him.

"Ne Tezuka, wanna watch? We're playing a match against Yuki and Yukino-chan" Eiji told them.

"What do you think Echizen?" As they all turned to Echizen, they noticed that Yuki and Echizen were throwing stares of despise towards each other.

"Yukishiro.." Echizen said as he continued to stare at Echizen.

"So you've made it here as well. This time you'll lose" Yuki told him as if he wants to challenge him right here right now.

"We're playing against them not him!" Yukino was trying to get Yuki's attention by clinging on to his arms. Yukino was referring to the 4 guys behind him.

"We are?" a bit surprised he said.

"Yeah so let's go" and she dragged him all the way to an empty court and the 6 boys followed them.

"Yukino can only play one game. So who is going against us" Yuki told the boys.

"Why not play against all of us?" Eiji asked.

"Sorry guys, doctor's orders, cannot be neglected" she continued with her stretching in the corner.

They decided the game by playing Janken. In the end, the golden pair wins the game.

"15-0" Tezuka announced.

"Whoa! Guys check this out!" Marui saw the game and was calling other players to watch it.

"Is that Yukino?"

"…And Yuki in doubles!"

"Now this is a game worth watching too!"

The crowd of expectators started to grow by the minute.

"Game won by OishiKikumaru pair 1-0"

Cheers were coming from Seigaku

"Did you notice the game Choutaro?"

"Yes sempai. It was as if they purposely gave the first set to them"

"Not just that. Notice that Yukino Didn't even try to hit the ball even once?"

"Yeah..What are they up to?"

"Kunimitsu-kun" Yukino was waving at Tezuka. "Do you mind if I carry an ipod while playing? It helps keep my game"

Tezuka turned to Eiji and Kimumaru for permission. "Go ahead we don't mind" Kikumaru told the.

Yukino plugged in the ipod in her ears and placed the strap around her neck and inserted it in her shirt. Yuki served the ball; Oishi saw an opening to the left side of the court and aimed it there but Yukino caught up with the ball.

"What? Acrobatic play too?" Kikumaru said very surprised.

"Dancing tennis" Inui told the others.

"That's Yukino's playing style" Echizen told them.

"Her movement is in accordance to the beat of the music" Inui explained.

"That's not all. her every movement as well as the power is also in accordance to the note of the music. It will be difficult for Oishi and Kikumaru to overcome these two". They were all surprised to see Inoue-san and Shiba-san standing beside them.

"Yukino has a musician's ear so notes are like codes to her that will define her play"

"That's a really weird way to play tennis" Fuji remarked with a strange smile on his face.

"With Yuki's speed and power as support, this two are unstoppable" Inoue-san continued.

The game ended with the score 6-1.

Eiji and Oishi were about to shake hands with Yuki and Yukino when an old man, in the mid of his 40's or 50's arrived to fetch Yuki and Yukino. Since Yuki was Carrying Yukino away, the only thing she got to do was smile.

"Now I know why they say that those two are a Good Combination" Choutaro told his sempai as they left the tennis court.

Editorial ekek: I hope you do like my work. I'm not so sure I'm a new writer so please tell me what you think about it and I will try to upload very soon.

And for the reviews of the previous chapter, thank you very much!


	4. Track 3: You got game

Track 3: You got game

The shooting for the good combination video continued until the very next day. The transformation done on the 4 boys were so good you could've mistaken them for real popstars. Kikumaru, Oishi, Shishido and Choutaro haven't thought that this kind of work is more stressing than keeping a regular position in tennis. With all the style and make-up pointers you have to keep in mind, as well as the dancing and acting that you need to learn, it was all so chaotic!

It was a long day of stress so they decided to eat quick lunch.

"Ohtori-san, can I borrow your sun glasses and your cap too Shishido-san"

Yukino immediately grabbed Shishido's cap and Otori's glasses. This was the first time Yukino ever did talk to Choutaro. And he felt his cheeks blush a little.

"So what are we going to eat?" Shishido asked her. Yukino stood and ran away.

"That girl is somewhat strange" Shishido said as he sat beside Choutaro.

"But she's so cute like Tamaki-chan. Firsties are so adorable" Eiji was talking about Tamaki and Yukino like they were his teddy bear.

After some minutes of conversation, Yukino arrived carrying a bag full of Styrofoam packed lunch and some drinks.

"You should've told us you were running to get food" Oishi told her as he and Choutaro help her carry the food to the benches. As they unpacked the lunch…

"What are these?" Shishido asked while looking at the food, quite disgusted.

"Um… I bought some Yakisoba, Gyudon, Okonomiyaki Yakitori and some Ramone for us to drink"

"I can see that. But..but these are all street food!" At last Shishido showed his proof that he was also a rich kid. "They may not be sanitized" he was complaining to Yukino while stopping Choutaro from putting anything in his mouth as if it was poison.

"Yes they are clean" Yukino was fighting with Shishido like Jirou would fight for his insane ideas. But in reality they are absurd. For example, Jirou thinks that sleeping is as normal as breathing. So sleeping during practice was normal and Atobe does nothing to correct Jirou.

Oishi knows that Yukino was trying to be nice to Shishido because there is no way in the world a pure breed would eat street food.

_She's so naïve and innocent,_ Shishido thought. _It's hard to figure this girl. If Choutaro likes her so badly, I need to know her first._

"Sempai, let's just eat" Choutaro told him with pleading eyes. He couldn't resist being mad at his best friend. So he did try some, though still in fear of catching **commoner's disease.**

In the end the 4 boys felt satisfaction for eating a well cooked, um… meal.

"You know what Choutaro, I never knew street food could be that good"

"I told you sempai trying new things are fun" and he drank some more of his ramone.

"You know what Yukino-chan," Kikumaru started "You act like someone from our team"

"Oh, really? Who?"

"Fuji Syusuke. You both always smile and make complicated things sound so easy and you both have strange taste for food…"

but Yukino wasn't listening anymore. She was leaning on Choutaro sleeping.

"Now what?" Shishido complained again. "I am done putting up with one narcoleptic for once in my life, I can't put up with another".

"Shishido-san please let her rest" Oishi said as he help Yukino lie down on Choutaro's lap. Shishido thought that he saw Choutaro blush for a moment there. He was happy because he was able to be close with his crush. He remembers from before that Choutaro told him of his grade school crush, he can never get within ten feet range from her. He was such a shy person that Shishido thought before that it would really be impossible for him to get a girlfriend.

There was a rustle from the bush behind them.

"We are currently under situation 2-4. I have located the target and I'm about to make contact, the panda is over and out" Tamaki messaged in her walky-talky.

"Since when were you here, Tamaki-chan?" Oishi asked her quite surprised. But the "mini-Tezuka" ignored Oishi's question. Instead she went beside the sleeping Yukino and shouted "GET UP!" But Yukino slept on.

"Hey Tamaki, how did you get here?" Eiji was asking her quite annoyed.

"How do people get to a park?" And she fixed Yukino's bangs so it wasn't blocking her sleeping eyes. "I'll let her sleep for 30 more minutes." Tamaki said as she sat on another bench.

"Is she narcoleptic?" Shishido asked her

"Anyone could become narcoleptic if they were in her shoes." Tamaki told him frankly.

"Why is that?" Choutaro asked

"Try balancing your time as a pop star/actress, top student, and a student committee president." She dared him.

""That's hard." Kikumaru concluded

"What's her ranking in class?" Shishido asked interestedly.

"1st in class 2nd in their level"

"Whoa! That's hard. getting in Seigaku's ranked students is already hard. Where does she go to school anyway?" Oishi asked

"Kazeho High school"

"High…SCHOOL?!" They all reacted and this woke Yukino up.

"I am not sleeping in class teacher!" she exclaimed still wearing her sleepy eyes.

"Baka!" Tamaki hit her hard with a paper fan on the head. "I told you not to stay up all night to finish that insane report!"

"But I wouldn't be able to answer in class if I don't do it myself" she was still sitting on the ground all teary eyed.

"Are you kidding me? You ranked first last year even without studying for a single thing!"

"I did?.. wow that's cool!" She was now acting like Jirou if ever he did get high scores in a test while sleeping half the time of the test while everyone answers the mind boggling questions of the teacher.

This made Choutaro laugh a little.

On the other side of Tokyo, by the Akihabara district, the Yamabuki team was having their photo shoot with Yuki for their track _You Got Game._

He got along well with the boys because, well, they're boys and he liked Sengoku's happy-go-lucky personality.

"Hey Sengoku" , Yuki talked to the orange-haired boy after recording.

"Luck proclamation.. Have you tried it on girls?"

"Of course! And it works like a charm" He drank his apple juice.

"Really? Maybe I should try it"

"Why? You like someone in particular?"

"You'll see her in the ball" he stood up and left Sengoku smiling.

"Hey wait! .. Oh shoot, I still haven't got a date for the ball!"

"Where is Otori, Shishido" Atobe asked him as he entered the Doujin café. It has become Hyotei's habit to always hang out in the café during their free time.

"I was also wondering where he went and it seems that he isn't here". It seems that it was a mistake for Shishido to stop by the Doujin Café.

"Shishido misplaced his wittle baby" Gakuto teased him.

"Shut up fox hair or I'll tell the rest of the world your dirty little secret!"

Atobe raised his hand in a halt signal.

"Stop harassing the commoner infront of Ore-sama's face". Gakuto, Yuushi and Hiyoshi stopped for a moment and laughed together.

Shishido tried to put some self-restrain and ignored his teammates.

"You know what guys, since Otori started that project, he has been spending his time staring into outer space" Gakuto told the group.

Truth is Shishido was the one who left Choutaro that's why he doesn't have any idea where he went. He wanted to give the kid a break. Ever since he saw that girl, he has never talked to him the way he used to.

Otori was sitting alone in the gazebo of the hotel gardens, thinking…more like arguing with himself.

_What is the matter with you Choutaro?_ He was already slapping his own face just to get himself together but still no use. Everytime he thinks of Yukino, his heart wouldn't stop beating so fast. _I never have met her before though a lot of my classmated talks about her all the time. And now that I have met her it seems that I have known her forever. _

Then he heard someone talking_.. Could it be?_

"I already know that dad but…"

She was walking around talking on her mobile phone. She seems to have not noticed Choutaro sitting in the gazebo, he just watched her.

"I'm doing my very best to..I know..yes..I will…Bye."when she turned off her phone, that's the only time she notice Choutaro.

"Otori-san! I never meant to disturb you here" she said apologetically.

"Well, um, you didn't .. I mean.." he was panicking again and he doesn't have his sempai to cover for his tattering.

"Is it alright if I join you?" she seemed to have overlooked the words he was trying to put together.

"Sure"

There was silence between the two of them. He couldn't think of any question to break the big wall of ice that was between them and while he was thinking Yukino asked the first question.

"Otori-san? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure" ha answered quite nervously.

_What will she ask me? During some scenes in Yuushi-sempai's favorite love movies, these were usually the parts when a girl starts crying and opens up their hearts to the guy in front of them. With a perfect atmosphere, the scene would end with the two kissing and hugging each other..What the?.. Choutaro your starting to think like your sempai! Man, those movies can really get stuck in your head. Curse Yuushi-sempai's hobb. The next time he invites me, I'm turning him down._

"Otori-san," yukino was already waving her hands infront of Choutaro's face just to get his attention.

"Ahh..yes." Quit blushing. He was so preoccupied thinking about those things, he never heard the question.

"I asked you about Shishido-san"

_Shishido-san?! Why would she ask about Shishido-san? Why not me?_

"What do you think about him as a partner?" Yukino continued to ask.

_Oh, as a partner._

"Oh, he is great! He's the best friend that I have ever had". Choutaro was actually talking to Yukino the way he would talk to his sempai. He wasn't very nervous at all.

"You know what Otori-san, you are so lucky to have a sempai like Shishido-san". Yukino turned her gaze from Choutaro to the flowers beside the gazebo.

"Oy! Choutaro! Atobe wants to see you". Shishido saw the two of them.

Yukino went to Shishido and said, "Can you guys keep this meeting a secret?"

Shishido took the opportunity to help his favorite kohai.

"We will if you go out with Choutaro"

"Sempai!" Choutaro was so shocked with what his sempai asked his crush, he was petrified.

"Sure. This Saturday will be very perfect" she answered gleefully. "See you then"

and she ran off.

"Really Shishido-san, that was a clear invasion of privacy". They were arguing as they headed for the café.

"What is the invasion there? You like her, you had your alone time with her and I presume you got passed the first base.." he was talking like it was all so normal.

"First base?" the second year was confused.

"You never kissed her?"

"No" _like he even has the strength to do it._ "But thank you for your help Shishido-san". He couldn't resist being mad to his sempai.

"So weak" Shishido just sniggered. But deep inside, he was somewhat jealous for Choutaro's attention.

**Editorial ekek: **I'm a really bad person. Sorry if I made the part of yamabuki here so short. I never got to know them very well that's why so I'm really really sorry! I have finished writing the whole story on my notebook but I haven't typed it yet. The next chapter is so good. And thank you for the review. All the credits will be typed to the next chapter.


	5. Track 4: White Line

Track 4: White line

Saturday; A perfect day to relax and leave the stress of school work. But the morning for Echizen Ryoma was just plain annoying because of his sempai. Firstly, he was woken up early by his sempai-Momo just to argue about his clothes. Second, they got a sermon by their coach and lastlu, he needed to work with two of his sempais instead in a musicvideo he wasn't interested on doing.

The announcement was posted at the café yesterday:

_**MTV Project: White line**_

_Echizen Ryoma – Seigaku_

_Fuji Syusuke – Seigaku_

_Fuji Yuuta – Tezuka - Seigaku_

_Mizuki Hajime – St. Rudolph_

_Yukimura Seiichi – Rikkaidai_

_**Further announcement**__: Please wear your formal and arrive with a partner. _

_WHAT: Acquaintance party_

_WHEN: Saturday 7 p.m._

_WHERE: Ballroom_

That was a further problem. Echizen never liked anyone in particular, though coach Ryuzaki's granddaughter always kept on showing up, greeting him and blushing whenever he looks her way. He brought the topic behind his head. His priority was to finish the recording for the today.

The recording at the DX studio also went horribly wrong. They had to repeat and postpone for several times because Yukimura kept on faintingin between recording sessions whenever Mizuki came too close to him.

"This is a conspiracy…"

"Waiting to be solved"

Echizen and Yuuta teamed up to investigate on the peculiar reaction of Rikkaidai's Yukimura to Mizuki.

"This calls for operation 'Pretty boy, Revealed" Yuuta told Echizen while saying the name proudly.

"So what exactly is operation pretty boy revealed?" Echizen asked quite interested.

"I don't know" Yuuta shrugged, "I just came up with the name"

"Mada Mada Dane". Echizen was about to leave Yuuta when he came across with Fuji and Tezuka.

"Yuuta are you planning another devilish scheme?". The smiling face was there. He wasn't mad or anything on the contrary he was rather proud when he asked Yuuta.

"Well, Echizen started it!", Yuuta defended.

"So what do you have in mind Echizen?". His empai turned to him now, eager to have an answer.

"I don't know" he now turned to Yuuta with a smirk on his face, "I just came up with the name"

"Why you little…". Yuuta was about to pounce on Echizen when Tezuka started talking.

"I have an idea". They all turned to Tezuka, who surprisinglywas also interested in the idea, with great disbelief.

"Operation 'Pretty boy revealed' is going swell". Fuji paged Tezuka on his walkie-talkie when they saw Mizuki enter the hotel.

"Copy that smiley". Tezuka answered.

"What did you call me?"

"Smiley, that's your code name "

"Oh, right, ferret"

"That codename is so lame, who came up with this?"

"Echizen and Yuuta"

"That little dweeb…wait 'Headband' is out the 'clam'. Do you copy that Echizen?"

"Buchou, what are you talking about?"

"I said Yukimura is out his suite already"

"Ooh, Mizuki is already by the pools. Hey Echizen did you get that?" Echizen paged Yuuta.

"Got that Yuuta. I'll make sure headband-san gets to the pool area as well" Yuuta answered.

"Wait a minute, why do you two have normal names?" Tezuka paged the two.

"No we don't. I'm Yuuta and Yuuta is me" Echizen answered.

"Confusing isn't it?" then Yuuta muffled.

"Echizen, I want you to run 20 laps to the hotel later"

"Hws"

Yuuta ran after Yukimura and started conversing with him.

"Hello Yukimura-san" Yuuta greeted.

"Ah, you're Fuji Yuuta-san right?". Yukimura smiled at him. "What can I do for you?"

"Can you swim Yukimura-san"

"Yes, I can swim a little"

"Good, swim against me" so Yuuta grabbed Yukimura by the arm. Fuji and Tezuka were watching nearby.

"This is the first and last time I will allow that guy to come near Yuuta" Fuji said eyes still closed but he wasn't smiling at all.

"Brotherly love, cowardly love" Tezuka mumbled.

"Tezuka, are you trying to be like Davide-san?" Fuji turned to Tezuka.

"Why, is it working?"

"No" he patted him on the shoulder. "We already like our buchou just the way he is". And he walked on to the pools.

Yuuta and Yukimura were already in their swimming trunks. Mizuki was watching by the pool benches.

"Yuuta, don't drown again okay?" Mizuki called after him.

"Mizuki-san!"

this is it. When Yukimura saw Mizuki by the pools watching close by, he fainted and fell in the pool. Tezuka dived in and carried Yukimura to the edge of the pool. Yuuta, Mizuki and Fujicrowded aroung Tezuka and Yukimura.

"Okay, who knows CPR?" Tezuka asked the 3. Yuuta and Fuji pointed Mizuki.

"Fine I'll do it".

Mizuki leaned overYukimura. Echizen, hidden, had the video camera on focus. Their lips were about to make contact when…

"Ryoma-san, what are you doing?". Sakuno saw Echizen holding the camera. The people by the pool turned towards echizen's direction. They were busted. Yuuta slapped his forehead.

"I..I wasn't doing anything!" Echizen was moving backwards that he did not notice he was nearing the edge of the pool and fell in with the camera.

The video camera made a little FIZZ sound and went down with the bubbles. The boys in the edge of the pool watches as the video camera sunk down the blue swimming pool.

"Okay I'm out. Let's go Yuuta" Fuji grabbed his brother by the arm.

"Aniki.."

"Echizen let's go. I remembered to do the laundry", Tezuka ordered.

"All our efforts…gone" he came out the pool, dripping wet.

"Wait a minute. Were you guys filming me?"

The four people walking away suddenly came into a halt

"No we weren't" the boys answered in chorus and walked away the pool area in a quicker pace.

When Mizuki turned to look at Yukimura, he was almost awake. But when he saw Mizuki close by, he fainted again.

"I'll leave you here, you're hopeless" he stood up "Those Fuji brothers…I mean that Fuji Syusuke is being a bad example to his brother"

"Next time Tezuka, stick with planning the game," Fuji told Tezuka as they sat together in Tezuka's suite.

"Next time, we should get Inui-sempai involved. At least his annoying data-tennis can be put into good use" Echizen called out from the bathroom while changing into some dry clothes.

"Aniki" Yuuta placed a hand under his chin. "Do you have your partner for the dance tonight?"

"Well, I've been meaning to ask someone. How about you, Tezuka?" Fuji turned to the buchou who was now drying his hair with his sister's hair dryer.

"I still don't have anyone in mind. But as Seigaku's buchou, Echizen gather up the team here"

"Why me?" Echizen came out from the bathroom, now trying to dry his hair.

"You know what Tezuka, it eould be less of a bother if we call them in their mobile phone" Fuji suggested.

"Fine, Echizen call them"

"Why are you picking on me?" Echizen was mimicking the scowl Tezuka always wears. The two stared at each other for several minutes until Fuji broke their eye contact.

"Echizen, c'mon let's call the others" he was bringing Echizen to the door when he turned again to Tezuka. "Tezuka, please do take care of Yuuta for me" and he closed the door. "Aniki" Yuuta was now blushing of embarrassment.

The two boys left in the room remained quiet. Yuuta did not try to converse with Tezuka.

After a few minutes, Echizen and Fuji returns with the rest of the Seigaku regulars.

"So" using his most respectable Buchou tone, Tezuka started the meeting.

"Everyone's formal is ready for tonight?"

"Yes" they answered in chorus.

"Partner?"

"I have mine!" Eiji answered in his most enthusiastic tone as he raised his hands. "She's a really cute girl from Hyotei I met the other day".

"You're dating someone from Hyotei?" Taka asked.

"Kikumaru-sempai, are you sure you aren't taking Mukahi-san to that ball?" Momo asked trying to kid around with his sempai.

"Why in the world would I take Gakuto to that ball? Who are you taking then huh?"

"Actually, she's taking me" Momo was answering the question of his sempai with a trace of embarrassment in his voice.

"Who is it then, Momo-sempai?"

"You all know Tachibana's little sister right?"

"We'll see you after coming out of the Hospital Momo" Kikumaru patted Momo's back with one hand and was removing crocodile tears with the other.

"Don't forget to invite me to the show," Kaidoh added with a smirk on his face.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Momo tried to come off the consoling acts of his two teammates.

"It just so happens that Atobe has been asking her out as soon as the announcement about the party was posted yesterday," Kikumaru told them.

"And during breakfast this morning he sent her a forest of red roses" Oishi added.

"But Ann-chan ignored it all"

"Atobe is a really romantic guy behind his entire ego," Fuji said

"Maybe he has his entire ego because he wants to be romantic" Echizen and Momo started to laugh their heads off with the joke.

"How about you Oishi?" Tezuka asked his Fukubuchou.

"I'm still waiting for an answer from one of our own"

Taka, Kaidoh and Oishi all found partners from Seigaku too and Inui is taking someone from Rokkakku; who also has a strange taste for food like Fuji.

"How about the four of you?" Oishi asked them.

"We will arrive with a partner tonight. Dismiss"

"C'mon sempai, tell us" Momo begged to Fuji

"It's a secret you will soon find out. Yuuta let's go"

Fuji was about to leave the room as Tamaki entered.

"Ah Tamaki-chan, I wanted to see you" Tamaki stood there and blinked at him for several times. When everyone in Seigaku saw this, they all stopped in their position and kept quiet to listen to the conversation.

"Do you have a partner for the party tonight?"

"Well, no one has asked me out yet"

"Good! Can you be my partner then?"

Everyone's mouth fell open; Except for Tezuka who merely raised an eyebrow and Inui who was now wearing an evil grin on his face.

"Yeah sure..I guess" Tamaki answered with uncertainty in her tone, but still, everyone's open mouth had exaggerated to the floor because of Tamaki's answer.

6:45 p.m. the ballroom area was already crowded with students. Tezuka arrives, escorting two girls- Tamaki on his right who was wearing a cream tube dress. To his left was a Spanish looking girl who seems to have come from Seigaku too.

The other members of Seigaku arrive with their partners too. Kikumaru was hand in hand with a girl with long black hair wearing a green satin dress. Momo was also among the crowd looking dashing with his partner Ann Tachibana who was in a purple spaghetti strapped silk dress. She just simply adores Momo leaving Kamio and Atobe jealous and Tachibana a little worried.

Atobe paired up with the longhaired brunette captain of the Hyotei Girl's tennis team. Jirou, Kabaji, Gakuto, Yuushi and Hiyoshi also have their partners. Choutaro and Shishido were still waiting for Yukino by the staircase.

When the grandfather clock located across the hall struck at seven, the doors of the Ballroom opened. Everyone who went in was awed with the decorations done to the ballroom. The theme was 'elegant winter'. Tinsels, mistletoes and ice crystals made the entire place sparkle. With the lighting that made the illusion of falling snow made the atmosphere of Christmas so perfect.

Yuki and Yukino took center stage and played a classical song. Yuki was playing the piano and for Yukino, the violin.

Everyone had enjoyed dancing to the song Yuki and Yukino played.

After several performances, they also asked the performers of the first and third track to perform onstage.

During dinner, Yukino sat beside Choutaro on the Hyotei table.

A/N: Editor's rants

The part when Tamaki boasted about beating his brother in tennis was a complete accident. I was too lazy to type it and I cannot find a good way to include the story in the fic so I deleted it.

The story goes like this, for the benefit of the others. When Tamaki and Tezuka were young, (the age difference between them is a year) they would play tennis together. Tezuka would always beat his little sister. Duh?. Tamaki was always depressed whenever his onii-chan beats her in a game. One day, Tezuka made a mistake in their game and Tamaki won the game. Since then it was the most memorable event of her life. Since Tezuka saw how happy her sister was on winning over the game, (He's such a nice and caring brother) he lets Tamaki win a game from time to time.


	6. Track 5: Koori no Emperor I

Track 5: The Ice Emperor I

"Choutaro, focus and listen" Shishido whispered in his ear. Shishido has offered to help Choutaro with "trying" to romance Yukino.

Choutaro was getting all-nervous again because Yukino was sitting beside him. He kept on gulping, opens his mouth to talk when Yukino was looking away, then backs out and keeps quiet (Yukino was sitting in the middle of Choutaro and Jirou, who was sitting beside Atobe). Gakuto was trying to stop himself from laughing while watching Otori's attempt to talk to Yukino. Yuushi was quite busy with his partner; a girl from the Hyotei regulars, While the other boys ignored theirs.

Jirou seems to have interested the pop star more in manga.

"We are currently shooting that one"

"Really? When is it going to air on TV?" Jirou asked; now fully awake.

"Pretty soon I guess. I think it will start this January"

"Hear that Atobe? Skip Beat is going to be aired on TV!" Jirou turned to the already bored Atobe who was now humming a strange tune.

"What are you singing?" the pop star asked him.

"Random notes! All this singing helps Ore-sama gain a lot of reputation"

Yukino was not listening. She was looking at the ceiling as if it was telling her something.

"You really are a strange kid," Shishido told her. Still, she ignored him.

She looked at Atobe after a few minutes and smiled. "Thank you very much Keigo-nii" and she ran off.

"What did she call you? Keigo-nii?" Gakuto asked Atobe with pure shock in his expression.

Everyone was now looking at Atobe.

"Kabaji, try to find other partners for these ladies" Atobe ordered the second year.

He obediently followed his captain. However, the girls were persuasive. They want to hear what Atobe has to say.

"If you want to be expelled from Hyotei, then fine stay here. It is your choice"

The girls never had second thoughts. School was more important than Atobe's controversy.

"Now that they're gone, talk" Gakuto told him.

"You are in no position to tell Ore-sama what to do" he drank more punch from the glass.

"You are clearly hiding something from us," Yuushi added.

"And you said that as a team, no secrets are to be kept from one another" Shishido joined in.

"She's Atobe's first cousin," Jirou told them now, awake.

Upon hearing that answer, Yuushi drooped the book he was reading; Gakuto, who was rocking his chair, fell on the floor; Shishido spritted his drink on Hiyoshi's face; and Choutaro dropped the Jell-O he just placed in his mouth.

"That's it! Choutaro, you aren't coming anywhere near that girl!" Shishido told Otori.

"But Shishido-san…"

"I knew it! I had a hunch from the very beginning that, that girl is somewhat like you Atobe"

"What's wrong with Ore-sama's personality?"

"Otori likes Yukino!" Gakuto was singing gleefully it could get annoying.

"Who likes who?" Yukino was back in the Hyotei table.

"Where did you go?" Atobe asked.

"Oh" she held out the notebook she was holding and gave it to Atobe. "I was trying to work on a new composition". Atobe read the notes.

It says:

_Do not touch us or you'll be burned by our cold incandescent flame of ice._

_Do not come near us or we'll stop your heart with one vicious strike from our blade of ice_

_Get on your knees_

_Worship us _

_Revere us_

_For the strong rules over the weak_

_Do not defy us_

_Surrender to us_

_Fear us _

_For victors can do as they wish over the defeated_

"This is it?" Atobe said with discontent. If he does talk this way, it means that he liked it.

"I just worked on it. Forgive me?". Yukino was acting like a little sister towards Atobe now. (With the beautiful eyes and puppy-dog pout).

"Ore-sama will never forgive you if you don't let me sing this"

"No way, Keigo-nii. It is meant to be sung as a group. You can't have a solo in the album"

"Unfortunately we cannot do your request this time Atobe". Sakaki-sensei has now joined the Hyotei table.

"So who likes who?" Yukino asked again.

Choutaro was blushing madly that his face was the same color as Gakuto's hair. Gakuto tried to answer her but Yuushi kept him quiet. Hiyoshi went to the bathroom with Jirou to clean up (spit is disgusting). And Kabaji was back after dropping off the Hyotei girls.

"Why don't you make Hyotei do this song instead Yukino-san" the teacher told her.

"Well.. I was thinking of you guys when I wrote it so.. Hey why not!"

**At the Seigaku Table…**

"Where is Echizen?" Momo was already slouching on his chair.

Echizen still hasn't arrived in the party yet.

"Anya! O-chibi still isn't here? Oh well" Kikumaru turned to the upper class girl beside him. "Rie-chan, want to dance?"

The girl offered her hand and the two went to the dance floor.

"Kikumaru-sempai really scored big time with that Hyotei girl" Momo said as he watches his sempai and his partner disappear from the crowd of dancing guests.

"Aren't you going to ask me to dance too?". An was already staring at Momo with puppy dog eyes. This made Momo panic a little. So he smiled and offered to take her to dance. Obviously, this made An glad. As the two stood up, the ones who were left on the table saw the board Momo was holding behind him.

The board says: HELP!

The rest of the team who were left on the table was laughing their heads off.

"Now that is what I call funny, Tezuka" Fuji said.

"Why?" Tamaki asked her partner.

"Your brother has been trying to sound funny earlier this morning"

"Ahhh…"

"Why did you do such a thing Tezuka?" Inui asked. But Tezuka kept quiet.

"Onii-chan was doing one of my dares after losing to me this morning" Tamaki was smiling devilishly towards his brother.

Oishi thought that he heard Tezuka mumbling 'all for brotherly love'.

"This is interesting data" Inui was doodling noted again in his notebook.

"Will you quit the data for a while and let's dance!" Inui's partner from Rokkaku was dragging him all the way to the dance floor making him drop his notebook on the floor.

"Hws!"

"Finally! Echizen, Momo was just looking for you earlier," Taka told him.

"I'm very sorry buchou I'm late" Echizen turned to their captain.

"Ryoma-kun, there you are" Sakuno was running to him. She was wearing a white cocktail dress for tonight. She also wore her long hair in a bun with curls on the side. Echizen was wearing his white tuxedo.

"You paired up with Ryuzaki? Tough luck!" Oishi was elbowing him.

"Buchou said I needed to pair up with someone or I'll be out of the regulars' line up"

"Tezuka.. Are you messing again with our O-chibi?" Oishi turned to the quiet buchou as if he was talking to his husband.

"I just did what I needed to do" . The captain drank more of his iced tea.

"As always Tezuka got you again"

"Don't worry Echizen. Just don't let Inui, Kikumaru and Momo see you with Ryuzaki-san" Fuji advised.

"I'd be very glad to avoid them"

"Good. Since I already told him what is needed to be said," The prodigy turned to his partner, "Tamaki-chan let's dance too"

"Sure". And the happy couple went to the dance floor together.

Echizen followed them with a stare until they disappeared from the dancing crowd.

"Did you tell her about the camera Buchou?"

"Not yet. I'll try to find a perfect time. When she's in a really good mood"

"Tezuka-san" Sakuno joined in the conversation. "Grandma said that we should all be alert. Talent scouts will be arriving tonight"

"Really?"

"We should all behave then" Taka said.

"Fsssh.. it means that I mustn't be seen dancing on the dance floor"

"Then it was after all wrong to pair up with you then. I should have gone out with Marui" And Kaidoh's partner walked out the table.

"Wait!" and he ran after her.

"It's really weird to see people this way" Ryoma tried to eat some food. It was all western food. He hates western food. No matter how tasty they may be, as long as its name is western he'll never put a bite in his mouth.

"Well, well, the prince of tennis has already arrived" Yuki was walking by their table.

"What do you want Yukishiro?"

"Oh nothing just looking over all my guests, you know the usual host duties" Yuki started annoying Echizen again. "Enjoying the party so far?"

"Yeah a bit" he lied. He should be nice. Like what Sakuno said, scouts are lurking everywhere in this party.

"Why don't we settle our score on my court? Are you ready?"

"Fine by me if you are not afraid to lose" Echizen returned Yuki's evil smirk.

"Bring it on! You" he looked at Sakuno "And your partner center stage 5 minutes" The arrogant brat left their table.

"You are so brave to accept a dance challenge, Echizen-kun" Tezuka's partner told him.

"A WHAT?!"

"Didn't you know?"

"Good luck then Echizen" Tezuka placed a hand on his kohai's shoulder to show his support.

"Ryuzaki, you can dance right?" the desperate boy turned to his partner.

"Well I can dance a little"

"Didn't coach Ryuzaki tell us to behave?" Taka said worriedly.

"Hey isn't this Inui-sempai's notebook?" Echizen noticed the notebook under the table.

"Go to the dance floor and show them Seigaku's power Echizen. I'll keep that notebook," Tezuka said.

"Hws! Ryuzaki let's go". Echizen stopped for a while. "You are going to watch, ne, buchou"

"Of course". With this, the little boy disappeared in the crowd of dancing people.

"Tezuka, is it really alright to let him do this?" Oishi asked him.

"This will prove if ever he is worthy of becoming Seigaku's pillar"

"What does dancing have to do with tennis?"

Back in the Hyotei table….

"Do it yourself".

Ohtori can hear the two pop stars arguing. Yuki had arrived in the Hyotei table asking Yukino to pair up with him in a dance showdown.

"Bite Ohtori bite!" his sempai was coaching him a while ago.

_This date is going nowhere. For some strange reason, I always get nervous whenever Mukahi-sempai and Oshitari-sempai looks at me._

"Fine, I'll only do one dance then" Yukino said. "Ohtori-san, dance with me for a while. Is that alright?". Choutaro blushed again. It was the happiest moment of his life…maybe not.

"No way!" Shishido started. "You are related to Atobe!". The little girl looked at him with confusion.

"Shishido-san!" the second year was tugging him to sit down.

"No way Choutaro! This is bad company!"

"You know what Shishido, Ore-sama doesn't approve of this relationship either. But since Ohtori is a good boy, Ore-sama will be kind enough to lend her"

"I am not a toy Keigo-nii" but the little girl was ignored by her cousin.

"Don't worry Yukino-chan, your Keigo-nii is just kidding" Jirou was hugging Yukino like she was his younger sister. "Now be quiet and go with Ohtori to the dance floor".

"Ohtori-san" the pop star smiled at her and they went hand in hand to the dance floor while Shishido and Atobe were arguing.

"I'll look for Aya (Yuushi's partner)" Yuushi stood up the table.

"Hey Yuushi! Wait!" Gakuto ran after him.

On the dancefloor…..

The Trickster and Marui were showing off with some street dance moves.

Kaidoh was still trying to catch up with his partner. Fuji and Kikumaru were happily dancing with their partners. And as for Echizen, he was trying to learn how to ballroom dance with Sakuno.

"One, two, three, one, two, three.." She was teaching him some of the basic dance steps. "That was great Ryoma-kun".

"Are you sure were doing ballroom?"

"No"

"Then why are we learning ballroom?"

"Because the only pair dance that I can think of is ballroom.. gomennasai!"

"Don't worry we'll find a way"

Even though he doesn't know how to disco dance, Choutaro was still happy because he was alone (At last) with Yukino. (A/N: they were playing R&B music, that's why).

"Ohtori-san, I'm so happy because I'm working with Hyotei on another video"

"Uhm..well..I'm happy too". He smiled back towards her.

"Uhm, Ohtori-san, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"You can play the piano right?"

"Uhm..yes.." He was trying to get a grip of himself

Gakuto and Yuushi were dancing nearby, eavesdropping. As well as Shishido, who obviously finished arguing with Atobe.

"Later, after your performance with Shishido-san and Kikumaru-san, play a song with me onstage. Is it okay?"

That was unexpected. He never thought that he would even have the chance to play with her onstage.

"Say, yes, say yes" Gakuto was muttering from nearby. His partner gave up on him because she wasn't even paying attention to her. So he and Yuushi were dancing together. Yuushi lent Aya to dance with Yukimura, leaving him miserable with Gakuto.

"Sure, why not?" Choutaro replied. _Like what Shishido-san said, 'Never pass up an opportunity'._

"Really? Thank you very much Ohtori-san"

The dance showdown between Yukino/Yuki and Sakuno/Ryoma has started at the dance floor. They all caught everyone's attention.

The DJ announced, "We are now commencing the break dance showdown between the Twin Stars (Yuki and Yukino) and their challengers from Seishun Gakuen, Ryoma Echizen and Sakuno Ryuzaki"

"A break dance showdown?" Ryoma turned to Sakuno.

"Gomen Ryoma-kun, I didn't even know that Break dancing can be done in pairs"

"This is interesting data…Where is my notebook.. I know I left it somewhere in the table" Inui looked for his notebook.

"When did Echizen arrive?" Momo was also watching from the crowd with Ann.

"I don't know about Echizen-kun, but will Ryuzaki be alright out there?"

"I don't even know what will happen to those two out there". Momo was under pressure just analyzing the events.

"This should be interesting" Fuji remarked, who was watching from the crowd.

"Those two doesn't stand a chance especially if Yukino is dancing" Tamaki said.

"I can see that. But maybe a miracle would happen"

"Seigaku's first year is going to compete. Omoshiro so dane" Yukimura said.

"Ready to die Echizen?". Yuki asked with an evil smirk on his face.

"We'll see"

The first song was Crazy in Love.

Even if they were wearing their formals, Yuki and Yukino were moving so well with their tumbling and break dancing.

After the two pop stars danced, the audience gave them a thunderous applause. Even Atobe was astounded with how good his cousin is.

"Beat that!" Yuki challenged.

"Ready, Sakuno?"

"Well a little…"

But Echizen started to move in the dance floor with some break dancing too and he ended it with a head stand. He also made the ballroom dancing that they practiced work with the song.

"Sugoi, Ryoma-kun". Her cheeks were pink from dancing with Ryoma.

"They can take this one Yuki," and Yukino left the dance floor.

"Chotto matte Yukino!"

"And because Yukino gave up, the winner, by default, is none other than the challengers from Seishun Gakuen! Echizen Ryoma and Ryuzaki Sakuno!"

"That wasn't easy," Echizen mumbled.

"O-chibi, did it! Yokatta! If you didn't, I think Tezuka would have assigned you 200 laps" Eiji was hugging Echizen again.

"That was wicked Echizen! I didn't know you could dance like that", Momo said.

"Congratulations Echizen" Fuji and Tamaki were approaching the two. "To you as well Ryuzaki-chan"

Sakuno bowed to show her gratitude.

"Though it was a forfeit, you still caught up with them by half", Tamaki said. "But still, that was a great match".

"Has anyone seen my notebook?"

--------------------------------------------------------

"What was that about?" Yuki argued with Yukino on the balcony. "We were going to win that one".

"You are taking advantage of him, Yuki and that's not how we show our strength in battle". The black haired pop star looked at the full moon. "Fighting with honor and winning with dignity. That is our way. If you truly want to beat him, do it on the tennis court".

"I know that. I was just trying to welcome our guest".

"Oh really? That was a nice welcome"

"On stage performance is going to start in 10 minutes"

"Sure".

"She was staring out to the moon like she never saw such beauty in the world before". Gakuto said so dramatically as he, Yuushi, Choutaro and Shishido looked at her from afar.

"Mukahi-sempai" Choutaro said.

"What? I'm saying it as I see it"

"Gakuto, we're trying to help not to sabotage" Yuushi reminded him.

"Since when did we ask for your help?" Shishido snapped at them.

"Atobe told us to so you need not ask for our help" the tensai looked at the hot-tempered Shishido who was trying to stop his growl of anger.

"Why does Atobe want to 'help'? He doesn't even care about Choutaro"

"Watch your words Shishido. You still owe Atobe big time for that regular spot," Gakuto sniggered.

"Ohtori-san? Is that you?" the pop star has seen them from the balcony.

"Ha-ha.." the silver haired second year was being pushed by his seniors to reveal himself.

"Hai"

"Oh good! I was going to remind you a while ago that you need to perform on stage with Shishido-san"

"Perform? What perform?" Shishido was quite in shock too.

"The dance that you did on the video"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Yukino had them rehearse the dance backstage with Kikumaru and Oishi. Their performance went well and Shishido, unexpectedly, became the crowd favorite after their performance.

Ohtori stayed onstage with Yukino and together they played 'Moon River', just to make the evening more romantic.

This time, Ohtori was confident with playing. He wasn't scared of the audience and he plays the violin pretty well in class too. Yukino was playing the cello.

After the performance backstage….

"Are you free next Saturday?" the pop star asked the silver haired boy anxiously.

"Isn't that the same day you set up the date of Shishido-san with the Chocolates?"

"Well yeah! It's the same day as Yuki's birthday. I'm going to give out a performance and I would like to ask for your help. Is that alright?"

"Sure"

"Wait a minute Ohtori-san, I still haven't heard you mention my name before". Choutaro was looking at the floor thinking of a very good explanation. He couldn't just admit that he has a crush on her.

"You can call me Yukino. I'm used to it"


	7. Track 5: Koori no Emperor II

Track 5: The Ice Emperor part II

_Her lips are as soft as the falling snow of winter…_

2 days have already passed since the memorable acquaintance party.

_Three weeks are still left, yet it seems that tomorrow we shall be parting…._

The recordings were postponed for editing, and for everyone to catch up with school. Nobody knew about the training the tennis club members came from, and nobody dared tell for they were sworn to secrecy. Everything was normal in Hyotei Gakuen. The usual winter routine of the Hyotei regulars goes on. Atobe calls off tennis practice because snow has now started to cover the tennis courts, thus, giving more leisure time for the regulars. Jirou was spending his time sleeping in the Home Economics room; Yuushi tries to quiet down Gakuto whenever his partner tags along with him in the library. Kabaji still spends his time beside his buchou who was now trying to plan a training camp of some kind; Hiyoshi was still spending his time alone elsewhere; and as for Shishido and Ohtori…

"Hey Ohtori, what are you doing?" The brunette has now entered the music room. This startled the Silver haired 2nd year and hid his sketchpad away in his bag.

"What was that?" Shishido asked again.

"Nothing!" the second year answered trying to sound innocent, still hiding his bag behind him. However, Shishido kept on staring at him that made him very uneasy.

"Alright! I'll tell! Just quit it with the staring sempai. It burns!"

"And I thought copying Atobe's manipulative personality is useless"

The second year hesitantly handed over his sketchpad to his sempai.

"What's this?" Choutaro was once again blushing madly as Shishido scanned the sketchpad. There were various landscape sketches in charcoal.

"These are really good! You drew them?" Ohtori nodded. He scanned it further. At the middle page of the sketchpad, there was an incomplete sketch of a girl with long hair.

"Is this?" Shishido looked at him. The senior sighed and sat beside him. "You know, though Atobe is a little possessive he's .. uhm.. Let me see.." He could not think of a single positive attitude of Atobe that he ever saw except for the time he helped him regain his regulars position. "Uhm .. Forgiving?". This made the silver haired boy smile a little though he felt that his feeling towards Yukino is forbidden love.

"Shishido cares for you so much. That is why your idea of getting too close to Yukino hurts him. Yukino is a superstar who is invisibly protected by the wall named Atobe. Shishido doesn't want you to get hurt just because you'll get rejected by Atobe even before you lay a finger on Yukino. And Atobe though he doesn't show much, he doesn't want his cousin to get hurt by anyone. They both protect the same thing without realizing it."

This was the first time Choutaro tried consulting his sempai Oshitari and Mukahi.

"In short, those two are idiots, ne Yuushi?"

It really did shock him that when it comes to "these" kind of stuff, his sempai Oshitari can beat the fortune-teller.

"So what am I going to do?" With all due respect, to his sempai Shishido, whom he usually asks for advice, he kept this meeting a secret. For now, the best choice to ask for advice in such situations would be Hyotei Gakuen school newspaper's resident love adviser, Yuushi Oshitari. However, his advices to the girls of the school had already caused him and the rest of the Hyotei regulars a lot of trouble whenever Valentine's Day, which also happens to be his birthday, is nearing.

"You need to bring down the walls"

"How do I do that?"

"Try getting a hammer and whack them down," Gakuto answered.

"What Gakuto is trying to say is, you need to take down the two people protecting you."

"I really meant what I said Yuushi, get a hammer and whack them down!" Gakuto whammed the table.

"We're trying to build relationships here Gakuto not 'Whack' them down"

"But they are making things difficult for Ohtori here"

"We'll lose this job if I give him that advice"

He left the Janitor's closet, which his semapais used as their office to keep their business a secret. But with all the noise that they were doing...they can get busted anytime.

But they did have a point back there. I need to learn to stand up, …..

He bumped into someone while walking in the deserted hallway in the second floor. He saw a boy wearing a blue cap, sitting on the floor and rubbing his nose underneath the cap.

"Shishido-sempai, gomen!" he blurted out accidentally. It had always been his reaction whenever he comes across a person wearing a blue cap. But this person, his skin was different. His height is smaller. When the little boy looked up to him, he wasn't a 'he' at all. It was... "Yukino?" he uttered. She hid her long black hair underneath the cap and she was wearing a jumper so she really looks like a boy. (This is what happens when people looks like Gakuto; when you can look like a boy or a girl just by changing your hairstyle.)

"Oh hello there Ohtori-san. I was looking for you guys and I got lost."

"Are you okay?" He offered his hands to help her stand. She held on to it. _Her hand is warm and soft. I want to hold on to it forever; but I can't._ Once he got her up, he tried to let go, but still, she grabbed it again and smiled at the blushing boy.

"Can you show me around?" His heart was beating faster, so fast; it was as if he was having a hard time to breathe.

"Please?" she was holding his hands tighter. He couldn't say no. _besides there is nothing wrong with showing her around_. "And besides, no one will notice that it is me. Even you have mistaken me for Shishido-san"

He showed her around the classrooms, the library, and then the cafeteria where they got some snacks together.

"Ohtori-san" She took another bite on her ham sandwich, "No offense, but is it just me or do you smell like mothballs?"

Ohtori sniffed his uniform. He does smell like mothballs. Of all the time, he should smell like mothballs, it was now. The janitor's closet earlier was filled with mothballs. That is why he smells like one. _What am I going to do?_ _I am so unlucky._

"Did you know that instead of snow, it rained mothballs earlier?" Yuushi and Gakuto joined them in their table. Gakuto winked at Ohtori while before he turned his attention to the innocent girl. (You really wouldn't believe that she is very smart because she looks so innocent.)

"Really? It did?"

"Yeah and it hit Yuushi straight on the forehead. See?" Gakuto moved Yuushi's blue hair aside to show Yukino, Oshitari's red forehead. It did look like mothballs hit it but Ohtori was guessing that sempai Mukahi flicked his forefinger on his Oshitari-sempai's forehead once again.

"Oh, what's the haps?" Hiyoshi said lazily as he joined their table. He noticed Yukino sitting across Ohtori but didn't recognize her. (She was still wearing Shishido's blue cap).

"I didn't know Shishido-sempai has a little brother".

"I always had a hunch that those people who are candidates for captainship are total idiots!" Gakuto said after whacking the golden-haired second year with a giant fan.

"Who were you referring to as idiots Gakuto?" Atobe has now arrived with Kabaji who was carrying the sleeping Jirou; he was hugging some kind of pink pouch.

"Keigo-nii! I was looking all over for you"

"You are early and I told you to call me Atobe." (He really hates admitting that he can sometimes be tardy).

"Oh right. Atobe, you know what? Ohtori-san showed me around Hyotei and this place is really cool!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that."

"Aha! So this is where you were hiding!" Shishido burst in the cafeteria.

"What are you talking about Shishido? We just happened to pass by here," Yuushi told him after taking a slurp on his lemon juice.

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Jirou!" He turned to the sleeping narcoleptic. ...Who seems to be asleep again.

"Jirou was with Ore-sama the whole hour in the home economics room, baking"

"Baking? Anyway, he told me that he will give me back my wallet if I play hide and seek with him."

"Well who was the idiot who agreed?"

"Mukahi-sempai, we have a visitor amidst us"

"Oh yeah Shishido-san, this is your cap right?" Yukino returned the blue cap to Shishido.

"Let's get going shall we?" Atobe told them.

"Go? Where?" Gakuto asked Yukino.

The little girl blushed and started to fiddle with her black hair. "Well...uhm...Let's just get going".

They went to a skating gym owned by both the Sugimotos' and the Atobes'. Nobody was there except for them.

"Yukino-chan." the wide awake narcoleptic was talking to her in a low voice. "What are we doing here?" She winked and placed a finger on her lips. "It's a secret".

After doing so, she skipped gleefully in front of the group to walk side by side with her cousin.

"Yukino, what are we doing in a skating rink?" Gakuto asked His temper was now rising for he hates waiting and surprises.

They were in the biggest skating rink in the gym.

"See that ice castle over there?" She pointed at the other end of the rink. "We'll shoot the video there as soon as the cameras are ready."

"We're going to sing inside a big block of ice?" Hiyoshi asked sarcastically.

"Ore-sama thought that since we are the ice Emperors, we should have our own palace. Am I correct or am I correct?"

"Sugoi Atobe!" Jirou's awakened eyes widened more with amazement while the other's reaction to his statement was sweat drops.

The old attendant, Mr. Winston, provided the boys and Yukino some skates to wear. And together, they entered the ice palace.

"Everything inside this palace is made out of Ice but they are also as sturdy as their natural counterparts. Well maybe except for the fruits." Yukino explained as the boys looked around the huge palace hall.

"And of course Ore-sama should sit on the Emperor's throne, na Kabaji?"

"Usu." the second year answered as Atobe sat on the enormous ice throne. But he couldn't last long sitting on something so cold- even if he considered himself superior than anyone else. When Atobe stood up the throne, Jirou took over and slept on it. "Kabaji, kindly get Jirou and let's leave"

"Usu."

"Where is Yukino?". He noticed that the only ones who were inside the palace were the three of them and Yuushi, who was busy studying the fruits.

Gakuto, Shishido, Ohtori and Hiyoshi were watching Yukino as she glided on the ice. She was circling the rink in a fast pace and would do perfect triple loop jumps. The sleeping Jirou behind kabaji woke up in time when Yukino did the axle.

"At last" Jirou shouted after Yukino successfully did the axle. "You finally got it!"

"I got it? Really?"

"That last move was awesome! You should teach me that one!" Gakuto skated towards her. "What do you call that move anyway?"

"And the two cross dressers got together" Atobe said with a sigh. He was going to call after Yukino when Shishido interrupted him.

"She's a cross dresser?" Every body stared at Shishido.

"It's really strange why you and Gakuto are the only last ones to know what's happening in the world"

"There is one more ignorant besides me Yuushi". Shishido jerked his head towards Hiyoshi's direction.

"Sempai, it's just that I don't care about what you guys are up to" and the golden haired second year once again looked away.

"We need to leave" Atobe grabbed Yukino, who was still trying to teach Gakuto the axle, by the wrist.

"Keigo-nii..hey"

"Hey Atobe! We're not through yet!" Gakuto skated after the two. Kabaji, who was still carrying Jirou, and Hiyoshi followed.

"That girl is really something. What more did you find out about her Yuushi?" The three boys walked together.

"Well..one, she doesn't know any other sport besides figure skating and tennis. Two, she has limited allowance. And three, she loves teddy bears. Other than that, nothing else. Oh, and she's having a live interview on TV tonight with a certain Date Kouji".

"Oshitari-sempai" Choutaro asked blushing (again), "Did you find out who her ideal guy is?"

"Don't worry Choutaro, there is not a single thing that is not to like about you" Shishido said proudly as he placed a supportive hand over his kouhai's shoulder.

"If you want to know more about her" Yuushi brought out a small periwinkle colored planner, with teddy bear designs all over it , out his pocket and handed it to Ohtori. "Here's her planner, hide it. Her contact numbers are in there. I am really going to miss that planner". The silver pair looked at the tensai suspiciously.

"What? The color is really cute you know?"

------------------------------------------

"The snow is falling, it's winter". Fuji was looking out from his classroom window, admiring the snow.

"It's getting really cold and you have time to admire the snow?". Kikumaru was brushing his arms to keep himself warm. "Is the heater even on?" Kikumaru was shivering from the cold.

The smiling faced tensai stood up and walked out the classroom.

Since the acquaintance party, he's been having the urge to ask Tezuka a question, a question that has been bothering him since that day. He wants to corner him one time in the hallway but that was a little embarrassing. Therefore, he decided that he, Fuji Syusuke, would not go home today until he gets that talk with Tezuka.

"Tezuka, we need to talk" At last! He was able to corner him in the locker room after school.

"What's the matter Fuji?" the charismatic buchou looked at the serious faced tensai. The girls, who happened to be in the locker rooms at the same time, were eavesdropping on the two. They have also noticed the bizarre actions of Fuji after the tennis team's return from their practice.

"I want to ask you…" the tensai looked down the floor, he was trying to muster all the strength that he has to ask Tezuka that question. "I want to ask you…"

The girls gasped.

"Is he trying to ask him what I think he is trying to ask him?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe, yes?" the girls were whispering to each other.

"You want to ask me what?" the captain asked innocently.

"For the sake of all living creatures! He wants to ask you out on a date!" one of the girls shouted. But she was shushed down by the two girls beside her. (Being popular can get you attached in many rumors).

Momo and Eiji arrived in the locker rooms and saw the girls looking over the two princes. Eiji was about to ask them their business but before he could even talk, he was shushed down by the girls. So they looked at their business for themselves.

When they saw the situation, Fuji was still looking at the floor who was being asked by Tezuka the question "Tell me what?"

"So that's what was bothering Fuji earlier this morning."

"What do you mean by that sempai?"

"Momo, can't you get anything out of this typical drama series love scene?"

Momo looked at his two sempais once again. 1...2...3... "Waah! And I thought..."

"Yeah I thought so too." Kikumaru sighed.

"And I thought that our prince was straight" two of the girls were already hugging each other because of depression.

"That is why, always keep in mind, that there are only two kinds of cute guys: it's either they're already taken or they're gay"

"But they do make a good couple"

"Fuji…Why did you choose…" Eiji was crying.

"Tezuka, can I ask your little sister out on a date?" He said it. He finally said it.

"Tezuka's little sister?" Kikumaru repeated quite confused like the spying girls. (A/N: And they thought Fuji was gay around Tezuka...hmp)

"Okay, who's up for pizza?" Momo asked the girls who was trying to get himself out of a messed up idea.

"Kikumaru! Momoshiro! What are you two doing there?" Tezuka saw them. The two looked at each other.

"Buchou, want to join us for some burgers?"

"Fuji what?" Momo and Eiji told the rest of the team the scene that they saw in the locker room.

"As expected. I did notice the 97 possibility that he was going to ask Tamaki out"

"How about the other 3, sempai?" Kaidoh asked.

"He's gonna strangle Mizuki"

"Uhm, Inui, What's the connection?" Kikumaru asked him quite confused with the statements Inui was giving them. He already knows that because he talks like a computer, you can never understand a word he is saying unless you are really in a calm state.

"Eiji, I think Inui is just confused since his data notebook went missing since the Acquaintance party," Oishi explained.

"Poor Inui, he's so confused without his notebook" Taka turned to the confused Inui (Inui was playing with his soda and was calculating the percentage of bubbles present in each glass). "He was not himself since then".

"Echizen lowered his cap as he gave his burger pizza a second bite. He looked at his sempai Oishi who also has no idea where their buchou hid Inui's data notebook (During the acquaintance party, scene from the previous chapter).

"What will happen to data tennis now?" Momo asked.

"95 probability that it will be lost forever"

"Oooh! I'll guess the other 5! Echizen will wet his pants with iced tea nyaa!" Eiji then pointed to Echizen who was drinking his iced tea.

"What?" Echizen said blankly and spilled some ice tea on his pants. "Shoot!" He stood up, wiped his pants with his towel, and headed for the bathroom.

"Vwow! Eichi chempai ish alcho jalented widge decha analysich" Momo exclaimed after taking a huge bite on his burger.

"Momo, can you swallow your food first before you talk? And don't be amazed, that was a wild prediction." Oishi told Momo the same way, a mother would discipline her son. "Eiji, if you want to learn how to tell the future, ask Fuji's sister to help you."

"That's a good idea! Maybe I can replace Inui for a while. That way you'll know how annoying you can get" Eiji was smiling sinisterly towards the soulless, confused Inui.

"And remember Fuji, Tamaki is allergic to Oranges and other than that..."

"She already told me that Tezuka". The two were chatting together in a café.

"Oh, and she's going back to America by the end of the month to go back to school."

This topic has once again triggered the curious mind of the tensai. "Tamaki didn't think twice when she was given the opportunity to study abroad. But you...you were selfless enough to stay with us. Why?"

"How did you know about that? Nobody else knew about my scholarship offering except for coach Ryuzaki"

"Well I accidentally overheard your conversation. I just did not have the time to talk to you about it. So why?" the tensai repeated.

"I made promises Fuji, promises that can never be broken"

The tensai smiled at him. "Spoken like a true Captain." Fuji checked his watch. "Oops I need to go now. I promised to see the fireworks with Tamaki tonight. He grabbed his bag and bid Tezuka good-bye.

"The nerve of that guy, he already made arrangements before consulting me first" and he took one more sip from his cup of tea and continued reading the book he borrowed from Davide two days ago that was entitled 'Comedy for dummies'.

"Sorry I kept you waiting Fuji" Tamaki went out the crowded pastry shop carrying a small red box. "I brought us some muffins," she held up the box, "so we can eat something incase we get hungry". Tamaki returned the sweet smile of the tensai.

"Tamaki-chan, from where exactly are we going to watch the fireworks?"

"From up there" Tamaki pointed up the Tokyo tower. "It's a really nice view you know"

"I think so. I have never watched the fireworks from up there before"

"C'mon Fuji! The show is about to start!" Tamaki grabbed Syusuke and they ran up to the elevator. Halfway up, the show has started. When they reached the top of the tower, it was already full of people.

"What do we do now?" the little girl said hopelessly.

"Tamaki-chan, if there's a will, there's a way," he told her. Then he crawled through the massive crowd. Tamaki followed him. And after braving the waves of a thousand stinky shoes, they were able to watch the fireworks display together while kneeling down.

"That was fun ne Fuji?" the tensai continued to smile at her (like he does anything else)

"Fuji, have you ever gone on a date before?".

He was thinking about his answer when he remembered Tezuka's words earlier. 'Don't you dare lie to her Fuji!' The scary hawk eyes of Tezuka made the smile on his face disappear.

"Fuji, Something wrong? It's okay if you don't want to answer the question". Tamaki looked into the tensai's eyes.

"Oh I'm fine, I just remembered someone really creepy"

"He must be really scary to make you frown like that," Tamaki kidded.

"Well he is a little...You know what? These muffins are really good". The two went on talking about the muffins and their siblings in between the conversation but mostly it was about the muffins.

"Thank you very much Fuji for accompanying me tonight" the little girl smiled towards him.

"Would you consider another one then?" this made Tamaki changes her expression from the sweet smile to a confused look.

"Why?" she asked blankly

Syusuke shrugged. "I don't know. It's maybe because I like you". He said it very seriously. As he held Tamaki's hand, his blue eyes were looking back into hers.

"I still have to think about that one" Tamaki continued to stare blankly into his eyes.

"Okay" he let go of her hands and smiled back again. "We should really get you home now. It's already seven"

"Time sure does fly by when you're having fun"

9 in the evening.. Syusuke chatting with Taka on the phone…

"Taka-san, do you think I have a shot with Tamaki-chan?"

"Sure! Though I am not quite sure...but the girls in school do like you, right?"

"Maybe your right. BEEP. Taka-san, I need to go now, Yuuta is on the other line"

"Good luck with Tamaki-chan"

"Thanks" and he hung up on Taka.

"Hello? Yuuta?"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the tensai Fuji Syusuke" the sinister voice of Mizuki answered him.

"Who is this?"

"This is Mizuki Hajime…wait a minute"

"Sorry wrong number. BEEP.BEEP.BEEP"

"He hung up on me! He actually hung up on me!" The furious Mizuki turned to Yuuta.

"Yuuta! Why is your brother like that?"

"I don't know Mizuki-san. Ask my older sister she's the fortuneteller"

as Yuuta said those magic words, Mizuki has already formulated a foolproof plan for revenge on the prank Syusuke and the others pulled on him the last time (as seen on Track 4). "Yuuta, for me you really are the tensai" and he chuckled all the way out the training room.

"Yuuta, what did you do this time" Atsushi asked him as he wipes his sweat off with a towel.

"Nothing! I just told him that my sister loves tarot card reading and them he left off laughing" Yuuta told him also confused with his sempai's action.

"Let's just leave him be, we have training to do"

-----

"Fuji Syusuke- the tennis prodigy... he is really nice and polite right Mr. Rabbit" Tamaki was lying alone on her bed talking to her stuffed animal. "What I mean is, he's the perfect boyfriend a girl could ever have right? … and so as Yuki.. How come I am tangled in a web?" she stretched her arms and then..

"Tamaki, Yukino is on TV" Tezuka knocked on his sister's door.

"Thanks nii-chan" she called out lazily as she reached for the remote.

She opened the TV and the interview for the 'live action drama for Skip Beat' just started.

"So tell us something about your characters," the reporter asked Yukino and Kouji.

"You go first Date-san"

"No you go first Yukino-san"

"Yukino-san go first"

"Okay, my character, Kyoko Mogami, is a simple hardworking girl who wants to get into the acting business to take revenge on his childhood best friend Sho Fuwa"

"How about you Date-san?"

The reporter asked the tall brown-haired boy sitting beside Yukino.

"My character Ren Tsuruga is a very talented and famous actor. I am going to help Kyoko here" He tapped his hands on Yukino's shoulder. The interview continued until the next half hour until a fan asked this question to Yukino.

"Yukino-san, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Wow!" she blinked several times because of shock. "That caught me off guard"

Everyone laughed at her as well as Kouji.

"So" the host repeated, "Is there a special person in your life now?"

"Uhm.. For now. I am very much single. But I did meet someone very talented and interesting" she told everyone in a very professional manner.

"When did you meet him?"

"A week ago while doing one of my projects. He's a very talented tennis player and a polite and nice guy"

"I see. Are you sure you aren't referring to Date-san over here?"

"No I wasn't! Please consider the age gap" they all laughed again "He's a junior high school student". The crowd oohed.

"How about you Date-san?"

"There is no one more special then my dog, Peropero". And everyone laughed at the two.

"Heard that Choutaro?" I told you, you have a shot with her" the two boys were watching TV together over at Choutaro's house.

"Well were still not quite sure who the guy is. I mean there are a lot of junior high school students around and..."

"Choutaro please. Junior High school tennis player? Talented and interesting? Not to mention she said polite? And how often does he hang out with other guys except us Hyotei regulars?"

"Yeah"

"Hey is there something about that Date Kouji in the planner?"

Ohtori opened Yukino's planner, "Just some contacts and a doodle…that's written in French…Shishido-san, do you know French?

"Choutaro, I'm not Atobe."

----------------------------------------------

The next day was everyone's return in the hotel. Everyone seemed to have missed the pampered services the hotel has to offer, Especially Marui, who missed the continental buffet. As soon as he arrived in the hotel he tried to dash to the restaurant but was tied up by Sanada and carried him all the way up back to their room. (He has the same responsibilities as Oishi ne?)

"Yukimura! We should win that contest okay!" Marui told their buchou.

"So that you can have that all food access? If you want to win that so badly then follow Renji's training plan for you" Sanada lectured the bubblegum blowing tensai..

Marui stared at Renji. "Whatever"

"Seigaku has all it's regulars on the top 28 list. I still don't understand why our platinum pair", Sanada turned to the two boys walking behind him quietly, "didn't get in the list".

"We were a little busy Sanada" the trickster replied.

"Busy with what?"

"We were giving total support to Junior here" Niou messed up with Akaya's already messy black hair.

"Giving him total support in what way?" Sanada turned to Yagyuu for some answers. He knows that if it has something to do with Akaya and Niou working together, the only one who makes sense talking to was Yagyuu.

"We were a little busy placing booby-traps around the courts" Yagyuu answered coolly.

"You what?" the fuku-buchou's temper was now rising.

"It's their idea," the gentle man pointed at Niou and Akaya.

"Niou" Sanada massaged his forehead to himself calm. "We are disciplining the future of Rikkaidai. We, I shall say once again, will not tolerate any mischief coming from Akaya"

"You shouldn't be the one to tell me that Sanada. Our Buchou is already present"

they both turned to Yukimura.

"I really don't mind all the mischief but we did come here to train right? So we should take this seriously" He only smiled at the two.

"Now, you heard the authority. He didn't mention anything wrong with booby-traps so we are cleared Mr. Prosecutor"

Sanada took a deep breath and pursed his lips keeping himself calm.

----------------------------------------------

"Try these on you guys" Yukino showed the Hyotei boys some early French clothes for the boys to wear on their music video.

"We're going to end up looking like Rip van Winkle" Yuushi muttered as he placed the clothes on him and looked at himself on the mirror.

"I personally think that these clothes have brought out my already obvious beauty". Gakuto was already wearing the maroon coat and brown pants as he posed and admired himself infront of the huge body mirror.

"At least someone grew a little taller with his clothes" Shishido whispered to Choutaro. The second year merely giggled on his sempai's joke. Then Kabaji approached him and handed him a small white envelope. He opened it and read the small note inside. It says: Come over Ore-sama's room after the games.

"Shishido-san" the second year turned towards his sempai looking for any advice. "Should I go?"

"Personally I think no. but it is your choice".

Ohtori turned to the black-haired girl who was assisting his cousin with his costume.

"I'm going to think about it"

The games have been scheduled to resume the next day to choose from the top 28, the best 8 players to compete in the end.

It bothered the Silver pair more because they were going up against the tensai and the powerhouse of Seigaku all at the same time in a doubles match (refer to the match ups in chapter 2).

That night, the silver haired boy knocked on the door of his captain's suite. Atobe answered the door himself and let him in.

"Sit" the captain told him as he went back in his room. Sitting on the table in front of him was as unfinished game of chess and on the couch was his Akutagawa-sempai, once again sleeping soundly like a baby.

Atobe walked in back the room carrying a book. He sat crossed-legged on the couch and looked back at him.

"So Ohtori" Atobe started. "I really don't like getting in between situations such as what you have whipped up"

He was a little confused. What had he done wrong to upset his sempai/buchou?

"No, I am not upset Ohtori. Here" Atobe said as he handed him the book he was carrying to the second year. His captain could tell from his expression what was already going in his head. (Maybe that's Atobe's secret for being a good leader: presence and the ability to read minds). "Ore-sama reckons that you might find this book useful." He took the book and read the cover. The silver writing on the black leather cover of the book says: Ore-sama's 99 ways to make any top class girl fall in love with you.

He read the title twice to make sure he didn't misread the cover. That was really the title and his captain Atobe wrote it.

As he studied the book, he didn't notice that his captain went beside the window.

"I did a lot of thinking Ohtori" he turned to Atobe who was standing beside the window. The expression on the eyes of his captain was different, very different indeed. It wasn't glittery and happy and proud like before, but rather sad and worried. It was the most unusual sight to see for his captain had always portrayed the strength of everyone.

"You are an honest, obedient and hardworking boy" he continued his talk. Atobe, from the window, turned his attention and rejuvenated stare of pride to Ohtori. "You don't have a single criminal record on you except for that time during nursery school…" he was now, back in his way of talking sarcastically.

Ohtori suddenly remembered the time, during nursery school, when his father gave him a very expensive teddy bear as a birthday gift. He wouldn't let go of the bear so he was allowed to bring it to school. During recess, his classmate took away the bear from him. After crying through the whole period of sleep time, he decided to take revenge and poured white glue and colored feathers on his classmate and labeled him as the big chicken.

Ohtori went back from his daydream.

"Yukino would not stop talking about you, do you know?"

"Buchou,", Choutaro cut in, "Shishido-sempai feels the same way too. But I am willing to take good care of her with all my life"

"You do know that I am still half convinced"

"Hai. But I am willing to prove myself worthy of you for Yukino-san". He stared back in Atobe's eyes so seriously and then..

"You may leave now." He just dismissed him.

"He gave you this?" Shishido was looking at the book Atobe gave Choutaro. "This book looks ridiculous!" The second year smiled as Shishido criticizing the book from cover to rim. But as they say it never judge a book by its cover so he opened the book and read the first page. Still, Shishido was annoyed with its content.

"First way to make the girl of your dreams fall in love with you: Come from the same status. If she is rich, then become rich. If you can't then pretend to be one. But beware, if she ever finds out your lying, say good-bye to your life. What the heck? This book is rubbish!" Shishido was skimming the first page of the book. "Is there anything useful in this piece of rubbish?" he opened the book somewhere in the last pages. "At least here's something. Tip number 83: Be yourself…when she turns around? Okay I have had it!" Shishido stood up and carried the book to the trash bin. "This belongs to the trash can."

"Shishido-san, it is not proper to throw away something that does not belong to you."

"Well basically its trash so it belongs to the trash bin."

"Shishido-san." The junior said pleadingly.

"Fine but don't you dare read that thing further" Shishido ordered him.

The rest of the hours in Shishido's suite were spent on watching the Pro matches on the sports channel. They were quiet because, it wasn't about the excitement the matches brought, but because of the fact that they were both nervous with their match the next day. The game wasn't the only thing that was bothering Ohtori. He was thinking of a good time to tell his sempai to stop worrying about him like what his Oshitari-sempai said. But he needs to do it now so it wouldn't disturb his play on the match tomorrow. But how will he start the conversation?

"Choutaro," his sempai cut the silence between them, "although our chances are slim, let's do our best in our match tomorrow"

"Hai" the second year agreed. "Sempai?"

"What?" Shishido asked kindly.

"Ano... Shishido-san, we need to talk"

"We are talking...so what? Is it about my attitude again?"

"No it's not that Shishido-san. But please, before I proceed, you will answer my question honestly. Okay?"

Shishido thought for a moment and said 'okay'. So choutaro took a deep breath and asked the question.

"Shishido-san, are you jealous of Yukino-san? I mean the attention that I am giving her lately..."

Shishido crossed his arms and said, "If I say yes, it will bother you. If I say no, then I'd be lying. But you must know," Shishido continued smiling, "I am willing to do anything to repay the favor you have done for me."

"Thanks Shishido-san." Choutaro smiled back.

"And CUT!" the deep, familiar, voice spoke from inside the wardrobe. It was Yuushi and Gakuto (carrying a vidi cam) hiding inside the wardrobe.

"Those were really tough lines Shishido. Too bad you were the one who said it" Gakuto said as he and Yuushi came out the wardrobe.

"And what are you two doing here? Spying on us?" Shishido looked at the camera gritting his teeth.

"Oh this?" Gakuto innocently pointed at the camera. "This is nothing." He threw the camera out the open window and they heard a cat scream. "So Ohtori, what do you have in mind?"

The other three boys didn't hear the acrobatic player's question. They were too busy listening to what happened to the video camera. After the screaming cat, it hit something metal and finally crashed on a car whose alarm just went on. From the sound of it all, the owner of the car was really devastated for they heard him cursing the video camera.

"Gakuto, you are so dead" Yuushi said his face all white from fear.

"It'll all be your fault if we go to prison" Shishido was acting the same as Yuushi.

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Gakuto was really confused with the way the others were reacting. It was just a cheap camera, he can afford another one. And about the car, he can pay for the damages if ever the owner finds out that he threw it out the window. Why did he throw it out the window anyway?

"Mukahi-sempai" Ohtori's sweet smile was now a little worried. It was the same with his tone of voice. "I think you just hit the car of our producer with your video camera".


	8. Track 6: Feel your breeze

Track 6: Feel your breeze

The accident about the Jaguar of the producer for the music video was the talk the next day. Up until then, they still haven't figured out who was the idiot who threw the video camera out the window. There wasn't any tape in the camera either. And the police never thought of investigating over the Junior high school guests of the hotel.

"Gakuto, where did you hide the tape?" the tensai whispered on the acrobatic player's ear during lunch the next day.

"I don't know what you are talking about" Gakuto answered trying to sound innocent as he ate his pork steak...

"You can't use that to blackmail Shishido you know"

"Why?" Gakuto answered back without thinking.

"You know we are earning good money for this assignment. It was also written in Atobe's contract..."

But Gakuto interrupted Yuushi. "Every time, every time that guy is involved he spoils the fun on everything".

"I was thinking of setting up our love birds on a date on Christmas Eve", Yuushi told Gakuto as he started with his mashed potatoes; just to change the subject.

"A date on Christmas Eve?" Gakuto thought about Yuushi's idea for a while then he asked him, "Okay, what's the plan?"

Truth be told, Yuushi doesn't have a plan yet so he tried turning Gakuto's attention to other matters.

"Wait, I just saw on the bulletin board something urgent this morning"

"What?"

"We're not prepared for the games"

Gakuto looked at him for a while and answered back, "I knew it. You don't have a plan. Don't worry..." Gakuto tossed his crimson red hair back. "I have it all covered".

'Having a plan beforehand isn't like Gakuto at all. What did he eat for breakfast this morning?' Yuushi thought as he looked at the pleased acrobat.

------------------------------------------------

The games that afternoon were the most awaited part of the day. Everyone was excited of the match ups for it was the first time some of these people will come face to face. The 'Twin Stars' together with Tamaki was also about to watch the matches that afternoon with the coaches. And surprisingly, Hanamura-san of Jyosei Shonan also came to watch the matches. The captain of Jyosei Shonan, Kajimoto Takahisa, escorted her.

The line up of the matches has bothered the Silver pair more than ever. They were going up against the Fuji-Kawamura pair in the doubles 2 of Court A.

Doubles 1: Inui-Kaidoh pair vs. Mizuki-Yuuta pair

Singles 3: Bunta Marui vs. Akaya Kirihara

Singles 2: Genichiro Sanada vs. Ryo Kisarazu

Singles 1: Kunimitsu Tezuka vs. Renji Yanagi

For the match ups in Court B...

Doubles 2: Oishi-Kikumaru vs. Yuushi-Gakuto pair

Doubles 1: Kojiro-Aoi pair vs. Echizen-Momo pair

Singles 3: Munehiro Kabaji vs. Seichi Yukimura

Singles 2: Kiyosumi Sengoku vs. Jirou Akutagawa

Singles 1: Keigo Atobe vs. Kippei Tachibana

It was once again raining snow outside so the matches were done in the indoor tennis courts of the hotel. There were four available courts in the ground floor of the hotel each one has its own room.

"First match for Court A doubles 2" the announcement said, "Fuji-Kawamura pair vs. the Kikumaru-Oishi pair and Ohtori-Shishido pair vs. Mukahi-Oshitari pair on court B". Shishido and Choutaro looked at each other quite confused as well as Eiji and Oishi. Their opponents suddenly switched but they followed as they were instructed.

"I told you I got it all covered." Gakuto told Yuushi as both of them watch Kikumaru and Oishi leave court B.

"You messed with the match line-ups, Gakuto?"

"No I didn't. I researched on it" Gakuto explained himself.

"Still, you messed with the line-ups."

"Yuushi, you're childishly blaming me for something that I didn't do"

"I know what you are capable of Gakuto..."

"And you are not analyzing the situation properly."

"So what did you do?"

"I did nothing. I just happen to see the line up before hand and this was it. Someone put up the wrong announcement on the Café this morning."

"So you really didn't do anything?"

"No! You think I am only capable of mischief huh?"

"I have nothing further to say."

As Shishido and Choutaro positioned themselves in Court B, Choutaro saw Yukino amongst the crowd waving at him and shouting good luck. This gave him a little more confidence to face his sempais.

"Well, well, well. Hyotei against Hyotei huh?" Gakuto greeted them. "I guess me and Yuushi will just have to prove that we're still Hyotei's best Doubles team".

"Don't get too fresh Gakuto. We may have come from the same team but we, unlike you, are not careless." Shishido fired at Gakuto.

The first service was given to Shishido. The Dirty pair got the first 2 points of the match. Then the Silver pair was able to catch up with 3-5. Then, when the score was a deuce in 6-6, something miraculous happened.

It was Shishido's service. Gakuto received it. Ohtori returned it. Gakuto gave it back with his Moon Sault. Shishido caught up with the ball and returned it Yuushi volleyed it and Shishido smashed it. It was the perfect time for Yuushi to use Higuma Otoshi but Choutaro was able to return it with a smash so quick nobody noticed what happened, thus winning the Silver pair their first match.

In Court A, the Golden pair won their match as well. With the indoor setting, Fuji wasn't able to use all his counters.

The Inui-Kaidoh pair won their match with the score 6-1.

Marui advances in Singles 3 so as Sanada in Singles 2 and Tezuka in Singles 1.

In Court B, the Kojiro-Aoi pair won doubles 1. Yukimura won in Singles 3, Akutagawa in singles 2 and Atobe in Singles 1.

"Congratulations!" Yukino handed the Hyotei boys a can of cold juice.

"Hey Ohtori, when did you learn to smash like that?" Gakuto asked the second year after he finished drinking his juice.

"Ah sorry sempai, I didn't know what happened back there."

"You don't have to be secretive you know..."

"Really sempai, I don't know...that was an accident".

"That was good isn't it? God helped you on your match today." Yukino said while smiling. "Ah, I remembered!" She handed them some envelopes, one for each of them. "You are all invited to attend Yuki's party this Friday. Are you guys free?"

"We'll most definitely be coming" Gakuto flung his arms on the tall second year making him slouch forward to reach his sempai's height.

"Good! Meet me at the lobby 6:30, formal" then she left.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Letting her leave like that again, Ohtori." Gakuto let go of Choutaro.

"I'm sorry Mukahi-sempai."

The matches for choosing the best 8 players continued the next 3 days. The match between Tezuka and Atobe was probably the most interesting one to watch. With Tezuka's arm injury fully healed, there wasn't too much that Atobe can do, giving Tezuka the winning score 7-6 on the singles 1 spot.

The spot for singles 2 was won by Jirou Akutagawa by default. For some strange reason, his opponent, Sanada Genichiro didn't show up for the match.

Yukimura Seiichi won the spot for Singles 3. His match against his own teammate, Marui Bunta, gave him a hard time to win the match. The sugar loving tensai really gave a fight for his continental buffet.

Doubles 1 was completely won by the Inui-Kaidoh pair. It was a close fight against the Golden pair but they won it by the serve.

----------

The shooting for the next video was posted in front of the Doujin café once again.

_6__th__ MTV PROJECT: Feel your breeze_

_Momoshiro Takeshi- Seigaku_

_Shinji Ibu -Fudomine_

_Saeki Kojiro - Rokkaku_

_Hiyoshi Wakashi - Hyotei_

_Marui Bunta- Rikkaidai_

_Jackal Kuwahara-Rikkaidai_

"Mah! I really don't wanna sing in this music video but that girl can make you want to sing it anyway." Marui said as he took the usual package of the song lyrics from the receptionist with Jackal. "Just thinking that Sanada hates singing karaoke and the way she changed his mind was creepy..."

"Absolutely manipulative. She isn't normal."

"Yeah," Marui nodded in agreement. "But still, I have to thank her for the delicious continental buffet of everyday."

"Not the buffet again".

The two found vacant seats in the Doujin café. The café was seemingly more crowded than before.

Yes it had always been crowded for it satisfied the taste of the junior high school students. It served more than 1,000 different drinks from all over the world as well as local drinks. They have 300 cakes of different shapes and sizes that are also perfect for those who are on diet and for those who just want something sweet to eat. Like any café, they also have coffee, sandwiches and other snacks. But most of all, the great music played in the café was the cherry on the top. And since the twin stars are staying in the hotel, they sometimes give out free performances.

The Doujin café was crowded by the girls of the participating school. It seems that the tennis matches amongst the regular girls are already over.

"Why did they have to stay here? They don't have anymore business in this place", Marui told Jackal quite annoyed by the number of giggling girls.

"We really can't avoid the fact that girls exist in this world."

"Who won in their selection matches anyway?"

"I think Niou said that Hyotei won and Seigaku ranked last."

"Women, they can really destroy the reputation of the school they are representing." Marui went on with his whining. "..But still they couldn't play tennis as good as we can. I mean, hey, they're girls"

"Ah Marui..." Jackal tried to stop his doubles partner.

"I have to admit Seigaku has talent but their girl regulars must at least have reached second or third place"

"Ah Marui..." This time Jackal's voice was quite urgent.

"No, no Jackal. Listen to me, the reputation that we built…"

"Shouldn't be destroyed by girls?" a girly voice continued.

"Precisely!" he clapped his hands together. "Wait a minute Jackal, why did your voice suddenly sound so girly?"

But Jackal was pointing behind him nervously. When Marui turned around, he saw the angry girls of Rikkaidai standing behind him with their captain in the lead.

"We're a disgrace huh?" the captain said angrily.

"Unforgivable!" the girl directly behind her answered darkly.

"We've worked hard for you..."

"And yet you are backstabbing us..."

"Wait a minute girls, I wasn't talking about you. Can we discuss this?" Marui said.

But he was kicked out the café with bruises, slaps and couldn't further stand. Jackal came out of the café after the Rikkai girls threw Marui out and went back inside.

"I think the answer to your question was 'no'" Jackal told him.

"Oh shut up Jackal!" Marui said angrily.

"Girls are really scary"

------

Seigaku headquarters: Tezuka's suite

"Ne, Momo, what's the song this time?" Eiji asked his kohai quite anxious to know about the contents of the song package.

"It says 'Feel your breeze'", Momo looked at the heading of the lyrics sheet. Eiji grabbed the lyrics sheet and browsed through it.

"Nyah! Momo's so lucky to be picked for this song", Eiji exclaimed.

"You had your turn Eiji", Oishi said.

"Yeah so lucky it only proves that his brain has nothing but air". It was quite unlikely for Kaidoh to start a fight but this time he started it.

"What did you say mamushi?" Momo stood up angered but he thought of a better reply. "Well at least I was already picked out to sing, unlike someone there. Maybe because the committee already knows that vipers can't sing"

"Why You!"

"Honestly speaking, my life was peaceful before this crowd came and turned my suite as their hangout place" Tezuka muttered under his breath as he drank his tea and continued reading a new book; "The Life and Works of Charlie Chaplin."

"On the next round of our matches, there are 98.8 chances that we'll lose". Inui was still not himself although Kaidoh tried to buy his sempai a new notebook.

"Karupin, comeback with my butter roll!" Eiji ran after the cat after it jumped off the arms of its owner and took his butter roll.

"Sempai be careful of Karupin!" the concerned first year ran after his cat as well.

And Oishi was just watching all these ruckuses happen.

Tezuka has taken interest in comedic performances rather than the classics that he used to read.

Inui is losing his mind bit by bit as he grieves for the loss of his precious notebook.

Momo and Kaidoh did nothing but argue.

Eiji is fighting against a cat while Echizen's only concern was his Karupin.

Fuji was out on another date with Tezuka's little sister and Taka was down in the hotel kitchens trying to make them some sushi.

Oishi couldn't do anything more but sigh about the strange transformations a music video camp can do on National level Junior high school tennis players.

The scene gets more chaotic when Taka entered the room with the sushi. The cat immediately welcomed the future sushi master in the room and tried to jump to reach for some tuna sushi. Momo and Kaidoh tried to grab some wasabe sushi to stuff in each other's mouth. Echizen still couldn't get a hold of his cat and you might have an idea on what happened to the poor Taka-san who was crushed by the doorway.

-------

Hyotei regulars mall conference.

"This outfit completely suits Ohtori, naa Kabaji?"

"Usu!"

Atobe brought the Hyotei regulars in the mall that afternoon. The boys decided to get new sets of formal wear for Yuki's party. But thinking about it, it was their only excuse to meddle with Ohtori's love life.

"Are you blind Atobe? He looks like a pine tree!" Shishido complained.

Atobe chose a moss green colored tuxedo for Choutaro to wear.

"Isn't that a good thing? It only means that it is in season, naa Kabaji?"

"Usu"

"Why do you always consult the person whom you know would never oppose you and only speaks in a single syllable?!" Shishido turned to Kabaji, "No offense Kabaji."

"Usu."

"Choutaro! Change into this navy blue one" Shishido handed him another tuxedo to try on. The second year obediently took it and went back inside the changing room.

"I do pity Ohtori." Gakuto drank more of his fruit shake.

"Being stuck with two idiots who always come up with mutual plans, should we intervene now or later?" the tensai consulted his partner.

"Maybe later, we still have to fix these three up." Gakuto yanked his head towards Hiyoshi, Kabaji and Jirou's direction.

"How did I get involved in this kind of situation? Our sempais are starting to get annoying ne, Kabaji?"

"Usu."

_Can couture get harder to decide on?_

----------

Rikkaidai Fuzoku swimming vacation, in the middle of winter, Hotel indoor resort complete with tropical beach decorations from Bali.

"Jackal, Throw the ball here!" After recovering from his unfortunate encounter with the girls of Rikkaidai, Marui was once again jumping up and down in the pool playing ball with his teammates.

"Sempai, pass it here!" Akaya waved his hands to Marui.

"This is such a fun way to enjoy winter right Genichiro? Genichiro?" The Rikkai captain, who is wearing a yellow Hawaiian shirt, turned to his vice-captain who seems to be acting a little more evasive than before. He found Sanada on the other side of the pool talking to him through a speaker phone.

"YUKIMURA, DON'T YOU THINK IT IS A BIT TOO EARLY FOR SUMMER?!" Sanada asked him from across the pool.

"Genichiro, why don't you come here and let's talk properly?" Yukimura tapped the empty pool chair beside him. But Sanada couldn't hear what the soft spoken captain said.

"Sanada has been acting quite weird since we got here, ne Yagyuu?" Marui asked the quiet Yagyuu who sat by the pool edge dipping his toes in the water.

"That may be the effect of losing to a narcoleptic by default." Niou started.

"I do feel sorry for Sanada but don't pick on Jirou," Marui told him off.

Everyone in the pool was so shocked with Marui's words.

"You're referring to him as Jirou now, huh?" Niou provoked him.

"Although he came from Hyotei, he isn't a bad guy. He's really admirable once you get to know him."

"He bit the bait," Jackal said under his breath.

"Okay! Voice recorded!" Niou shouted as he held up his mobile phone that he was hiding behind his back. "Marui Bunta getting all mushy mushy... Excuse me everyone but I need to claim my gold from Ibu Shinji." Niou went out the pool and hurried out.

"To hell with you Niou! I want that phone!!" and then Marui stopped and turned to the others blankly, "What the heck was that guy talking about anyway?"

"We saw you hanging out with Akutagawa the other day," Renji told him.

"And so?" Marui answered sarcastically.

"Sempai was getting all mushy-mushy and intimate with Akutagawa," Akaya said with a smoochy face.

"I wasn't getting all mushy and intimate with him!" Marui told them defensively.

"So Niou and Ibu had a bet on whether you were really going gay on Akutagawa." Yagyuu explained.

"I wasn't going gay on him!" Marui said angrily. "I was teaching him and giving him advice on his play style."

"Well blame it all on Niou's wild imagination…Sanada will you stop that nonsense and talk to Yukimura properly," Jackal told Sanada quite annoyed.

"Yeah Genichiro, let's talk properly."

"I KNOW YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN YUKIMURA!" and Sanada ran off.

"Genichiro…"

"I'll go after him," Marui volunteered. "I need to kill Niou after all."

"Marui, do make sure he doesn't start drinking again." Yukimura called after him.

"Drinking? When did Sanada start drinking?" Yagyuu asked.

"For some reason, tropical punches and that Ponta juice make him a little drunk, though I am quite certain that the beverage does not contain any alcohol." Yukimura leaned back to his chair.

"Well everyone knows that when you combine sucrose with a catalyst it will ferment sucrose and turn the substance into alcohol." Renji pointed out.

Yet everyone is wearing a blank expression that clearly meant that they didn't understand a single word Renji uttered.

"Normal human language sempai." Akaya told him. Everyone nodded.

"Were you even paying attention to our chemistry class?" Renji asked them.

Everyone shook their heads.

"That explains a lot. Very well then, if sugar is fermented, it will turn into alcohol."

"Ooh..." everyone answered in chorus.

"But that would be impossible for the fermentation process lasts for a month"

"Ahh!"

"So why is Sanada-fukubuchou avoiding you Yukimura-buchou?" Akaya asked.

"He must've heard about the results of my check up and thought that I was allergic to him." Yukimura replied.

"This is what happens when you get acquainted with someone," Sanada told himself as he sat on an empty seat in the Doujin Café. He couldn't talk to his best friend the way he used to because Yukimura has developed allergies to him. He could still remember the doctor's words when Yukimura last came in for his check-up.

_Sadly, the medicine that you are currently in taking now has caused a weird reaction to your brain that will give it a sudden shut down. Do you feel anything weird when you drink the medicine?_

_No, not really._

_Anyway, just be careful of the people you are acquainted with. This kind of side effect reacts when you see someone... a close person might be possible._

Until he has fully recovered from his medication, Sanada has decided to support and get him cured, whatever it takes.

But what if he does not get well? What will he do if he can't play tennis with him anymore? And their only communication would be the telephone... Just thinking about it, made Sanada feel more miserable.

Then someone tapped him by the shoulders. Sanada turned to see who tried to disturb him in a time when he was all down. Then he saw his best friend, smiling back at him, and he was not fainting at all like before. Sanada was rejoicing in his mind.

"Genichiro, if you thought that you were the one I was allergic to then you thought wrong." He took the empty seat beside Sanada.

Sanada kept quiet, ashamed of his misjudgments but still quite pleased for he does not need to break ties with his best friend after all.

After listening to the soft music that filled the café, Sanada started talking.

"So who was it then, the person you were allergic to?"

"It was someone from St. Rudolph. His name was Mizuki Hajime."

"Oh I see. That should explain the incident in the pool."

"Genichiroh," Yukimura turned to Sanada, "Thank you for taking care of me all the time."

"It's nothing really. What are friends for?"

--------------

"Once I get my hands on your phone Niou Masaharu I will turn it into smithereens!" Marui marched the halls of the hotel angrily as he looks for his teammate.

'_He's a very admirable guy once you get to know him'_,the two gamblers heard Marui's recorded voice.

"How about it Ibu, my 500 yen?" Niou lent out his hands asking for money.

Shinji was back to his mumbling as he reached for his wallet. "This was worse than betting against Echizen over a grip tape, this is insane. Though it is half my fault for butting into someone else's life when I shouldn't really be. How should I know about those two's secret relationship? I should try asking Tachibana-san about this. But he might not know about this too because he knew Akutagawa was Atobe's pet…"

"Look Ibu," the violet haired boy looked at him, "I haven't got all day". Shinji handed him 500 yen and continued talking under his breath.

"Look at this guy; he's so cocky when he does not realize that he looks like a chicken. His hair is weird. His face is too long. They call him the trickster when he actually is a sadist…"

"Whatever!" Niou ignored him.

--------

After the music video shooting, the boys went back to the hotel to grab some snacks in the Doujin Café. Hiyoshi tried to escape but Momo grabbed him to stay with them. Then the girl from Hyotei, who was Kikumaru's partner from the ball, approached their table.

"Sachiko-san…" Hiyoshi said as the girl stopped at their table. She was clutching a package wrapped in brown paper.

"Hello Hiyoshi-san," the third year girl greeted him back. "A package just arrived for you guys… so here." she handed them the package and left when the other Hyotei girls caught her attention.

"What is it Hiyoshi?" Saeki asked him.

"It's a package addressed to us..._track 6 project cast._" Hiyoshi opened the envelope and found a video tape inside.

"It's a video tape," Marui said

"But of what?" Jackal asked.

"Okay, who has a video tape player in his suite?" Momo asked.

"Video tapes are outdated. Nobody has one." Jackal replied.

"I know someone who has one," Hiyoshi told them.

And so, they went up to the 5th floor and knocked on suite 508. Yuushi answered the door and was quite surprised to see so many visitors.

"Oshitari-san, can we use your VHS player?" Hiyoshi asked his sempai.

"We just received an anonymous video tape and we don't have a player in our rooms," Saeki explained.

"Come on in," he moved aside to let them in, "Gakuto clean up a little we have visitors."

But Gakuto wasn't moving from the large tower of okonomiyaki boxes.

"I told you to clean up Gakuto, we have company," Yuushi repeated.

"But I'm still eating!" the acrobatic complained.

"Hiyoshi help me to clean up."

And so the 2nd year ended up cleaning the suite with Yuushi while Gakuto and Marui fought each other just because of Okonomiyaki. After the boxes have been cleared out, the boys each tried to find a spot to sit on.

"Who gave you the tape?" Yuushi asked as he examined the tape.

"Sachiko Rie." Hiyoshi answered.

"Really? That girl..." and then he inserted the tape in the player and he sat beside his partner on the sofa.

The tape was some kind of home video of some sort. The video was in a baby room. There was a shot of baby rattle then the camera was moving so much it was somewhat dizzy to look at. There were two people talking in the background, a man and a woman.

"Will you hold the camera still honey?" the woman said.

"I am trying." the man replied.

"I am telling you honey Wakashi talked. He called me mama."

When they heard the name Wakashi, they all turned to Hiyoshi and then continued watching the video.

Then there in the video was the baby Hiyoshi Wakashi in his baby clothes. He was trying to eat off the ear of the blue teddy bear he was handling.

"Wakashi, say mama." The baby Hiyoshi stopped chewing the bear and looked at the video camera.

"Ma..." Hiyoshi tried to talk.

"Say mama Wakashi darling..."

"Ma...m", the baby Hiyoshi was already frowning for trying to say the words his mother kept on repeating.

"Say mama."

"Don't force the kid."

"I am not forcing him. Wakashi say mama."

"Ma..." Hiyoshi was still trying his hardest to talk.

"Yes honey, go on..."

"Ma…m"

"You can do it"

"Oh, brother..."

Then the frowning baby face was gone and became a plain expression as he said the words, "Gekkokkujo" and he turned back to chewing off the ear of his bear.

"Your first word was Gekkokkujo?" Gakuto turned to the blushing second year sitting beside him. "No wonder you have nothing in mind but Gekkokkujo."

The next video was a child of the age of five. He has untidy pink hair; standing in front of the class, he was carrying a very heavy fish bowl with a small clown fish.

A woman spoke, "Bunta, what did you bring for class today?"

They all looked at Marui who was also eager to know what will happen next in the video.

"I bought...bought...bwought a clownfish for...for show and tell today," the young Marui told his teacher as he struggles to get a hold of the sliding fish bowl. "The clownfish get its name fwom its cowoful stwipes." Marui said in his most babyish voice and fixed the sliding fish bowl he was carrying. "These fish wive in weefs and in saltwater aquariums," and finally, he got tired of fixing it and dropped the fish bowl that crashed on the floor. Everyone was shocked, especially Marui's teacher, but still he went on talking. "Clown fishes can also jump high in the air, see?" he was happily pointing at the dying clownfish on the floor. He took his bow as his teacher scrambles to save the dying fish beside him. His classmates were clapping their hands.

On the next video was a boy with short purple hair. "For a special performance, from the kindergarten class, let us all give a round of applause for Ibu Shinji." They all watched Ibu silently as he sang onstage.

"You're my honey bunch, sugar plum pumpiambiamkin you're my sweetie pie you're my honey cake gumdrop sniken spikem snore the apple of my eye and I love you so and I want you to know that I'll always be right here and I love to sing this song to you because you are so dear…"

Everyone applauded in the crowd. Ibu took his bow.

"Thank you Ibu." However, Shinji would not let go of the mic stand.

"No! I want to sing more." The school staff was already carrying him out the stage. Still Shinji hugged the mic stand.

The next video was Momoshiro's; celebrating his third birthday party. The other children behind Momo were watching anxiously as he opened the box; and inside he found a baby duckling with a beautiful ribbon tied around its neck. The girls were going kawaii as Momo hugged the baby duckling. Because Momo did not know his strength, he treated the baby duckling the way he would a stuffed animal. So the poor little duckling died 2 minutes in his arms.

"Takeshi you killed it," his mother told him remorsefully. Then Momo looked at the duck, and indeed, it was dead for it was not making any sound anymore so he started crying.

The next was the graduation video of Saeki.

"Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?" his father asked. Saeki was wearing formal clothes and was swaying his body while looking at the ceiling.

"Hmm..I want to beat the wall in tennis."

"Why?"

"The wall always beats me," he said quite annoyed.

"Um, okay. What else do you want to be besides beating the wall?"

"Daddy, I still haven't memorized my graduation speech."

The next video was very surprising. A boy with crimson red hair was playing the piano in a large theater hall together with a purple haired boy, about the same age as he, who was playing the violin. This boy looks somewhat familiar because of the mole under his left eye.

"Gakuto, is that you and Atobe?" Yuushi asked the acrobatic who was angrily eating his okonomiyaki.

"Mukahi-san, you never told us you have met Atobe-buchou before you entered Hyotei." but still, he ignored their questions.

Back in the video, it seems that the violinist got more applause than the pianist; though he only accompanied the pianist. They were both about to take their bow when Gakuto fell flat on his face onstage. They all laughed at the video; though Yuushi tried to stop himself.

"Who knew you all looked so…. what's the word?.. Asinine when you were all young." Yuushi said.

"Yuushi the walking dictionary, I can't understand a word you are saying." Gakuto told him annoyed.

"Mukahi-san it means stupid." Hiyoshi whispered in his ear.

Then Gakuto wore a bricked expression on his face.

"Now the only question left is, who made the tape?" Saeki asked. Everyone thought for a moment and they all turned to Yuushi.

"If you're all thinking that I made this, you are all most definitely mistaken."

"How can we be wrong? You are the only guy in this building that has a video tape player in his room," Marui told him.

"Though it was interesting, I didn't do it. I have better uses for my time."

-tbc-

mwahahahhaahhahaHA


End file.
